Learn Arabic as it is really spoken. Listen to and read Egyptian Colloquial Arabic.

Khalaf tells us about the Citadel of Qaitbay in his hometown, Alexandria.

انا من محافظة اسكندريه، او زى ما بيسموها عاصمة مصر التانيه و عروسة البحر المتوسط. و كمان اسكندريه متسميه على اسم الاسكندر الاكبر، و طبعا كلنا عارفينه و سمعنا عنه. بحب اتمشى فى البلد. بحس انى مثلا فى ايطاليا. يمكن ده عشان الرومان عاشوا فتره كبيره فيها، فا بتحس ريحتهم لسه موجوده فيها. النهارده زرت مكان تحفه بجد و هو قلعة قايتبباي. قلعة قايبتباى من اهم اثارات اسكندريه القديمه اوى و موجوده كمان فى منطقه قديمه اوى اسمها بحري. اول ما قطعت التذكره و دخلت، شميت ريحة زمان و اتخيلت ايام المعارك. حاجه كده تخطفك و تبهرك فى نفس الوقت. القلعه مبنيه مكان فنار اسكندريه القديم. بناها السلطان الاشرف قايتباى من حوالي سبعميه سنه و اتكلفت وقتها مية الف دينار. القلعه كمان معموله فى الاساس عشان تحمى اسكندريه من الهجوم اللى بييجى من ناحية البحر و عشان كده القلعه متحوطه بالبحر من تلات جهات. و كمان مليانه بالدهاليز و فتحات المراقبه و الرمايه اللى بتبص على البحر من جميع الجهات. بعدما خلصت زيارة القلعه، شفت كمان شوية سياح كانوا جايين يتفرجوا على القلعه و بيشتروا شوية حاجات تذكار. و بعدين رحت على معرض الاسماك البحرى. هو موجود فى نفس المكان. تذكرته حوالى بخمسه جنيه، هناك اتفرجت على اسماك اشكال والوان. خلصت زياره المعرض و كنت حاسس بالعطش و الحر الرهيب فا رحت ضارب واحد زبادى كبير من جيلاتى عزه. جيلاتى عزه يعنى اسكندريه! بصراحه طعم الجيلاتى ملهوش حل. حتى فكرت انى اخد كم علبه للجماعه عندى فى البيت. اسكندريه فعلا ماريه و قريب اوى ان شاء الله هحكيلكم على حته تانيه فيها و انا متاكد انها هتعجبكم.

I am from Alexandria governorate, or, as it is called, the second capital of Egypt and the bride of the Mediterranean Sea, Also, Alexandria was named after Alexander the Great, who we all know or have heard about, surely. I like walking in the city. While walking I feel that I am practically in Italy. That might be because the Romans lived in it a long time, so you feel their trace is still present in the city. Today I visited a very wonderful place: the Citadel of Qaitbay. The Citadel of Qaitbay is one of the most important ancient monuments in Alexandria, which is found in an ancient area called Bahri. Once I bought a ticket and went in, I felt a sense of ages past and imagined the battles. Something grabs you and fascinates you at the same time. The castle was built in the place where the Lighthouse of Alexandria had been. It was built by Sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbay about 700 years ago. And it cost one hundred thousand dinars [to build it] back then. Essentially, the castle was built to protect Alexandria from sea attacks. That’s why the castle is surrounded by the sea on three sides. And it’s full of passageways and slots for surveillance and shooting that look over the sea from all sides. After visiting the castle, I saw some tourists coming to look at the castle and buy some souvenirs. And then, I went to the marine fish exhibition. It’s located in the same place, The ticket cost about five pounds. There I saw fish of all different shapes and colors. After visiting the gallery, I felt thirsty and terribly hot, so I went and got a large ice cream at Ice Cream Azza. Ice Cream Azza is [a significant shop in] Alexandria! Frankly, the ice cream tastes very nice. I even thought to buy another cup for my wife, who was at home. Really, Alexandria is Godly land. Very soon, God willing, I will tell you about other interesting places, which I am sure you will like.

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