Babylon fort, a Roman construction was mainly built as a line of defense because of its location in a central position between north and south or Upper and Lower Egypt. The purpose was the easy control of any rebellion or revolution that might occur in the country.
Babylon, according to historians was originally the name of a capital city of a neighboring country known as Babylion, but another probability refers the name to the ancient Per Habi-n-own that was the deity’s dwellings in Heliopolis city, Habi was the divinity of the Nile.

The fort is also known as Qasr el Shamee or the candles palace as the towers of the fort were adorned with illuminated candles at the beginning of every month, thus people could follow the movement of the sun from one tower to another. Six Coptic churches, a convent and the Coptic Museum are actually within the enclosure of the fortress