The Zahiriyya Library ( ar, مكتبة الظاهرية, Maktaba al-Ẓāhirīyya), also known as the Madrasa al-Zahiriyya ( ar, مَدْرَسَة الظَّاهِرِيَّة, Madrasah aẓ-Ẓāhirīyah), is an Islamic library,
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
, and mausoleum in
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. It was established in 1277, taking its name from the
Mamluk
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...
sultan
Baybars al-Zahir (), who is buried in this place.
The funerary complex of al-Zahir Baybars
Background: Sultan al-Zahir Baybars
Sultan
Al-Zahir Baybars
Al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari ( ar, الملك الظاهر ركن الدين بيبرس البندقداري, ''al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Bunduqdārī'') (1223/1228 – 1 July 1277), of Turkic peoples, T ...
, also known as Rukn Uddin Baybrus (full name: ''al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari'') was a political and military leader of major historical importance. He played an important role in the establishment of a new
mamluk
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...
-based regime in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
that would rule
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
for a long period known as the
Mamluk Sultanate
The Mamluk Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة المماليك, translit=Salṭanat al-Mamālīk), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz (western Arabia) from the mid-13th to early 16th ...
(1250-1517). After playing a central role in repelling the
Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
advance at the
Battle of Ain Jalut
The Battle of Ain Jalut (), also spelled Ayn Jalut, was fought between the Bahri Mamluks of Egypt and the Mongol Empire on 3 September 1260 (25 Ramadan 658 AH) in southeastern Galilee in the Jezreel Valley near what is known today as the S ...
in 1260 (often cited as a turning point in history) he rose to the position of
sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
. During his reign, he undertook a series of effective campaigns against the remaining
Crusader states
The Crusader States, also known as Outremer, were four Catholic realms in the Middle East that lasted from 1098 to 1291. These feudal polities were created by the Latin Catholic leaders of the First Crusade through conquest and political in ...
in the
Levant
The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...
, conquering a number of important cities and fortresses such as
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
and the famous
Krak des Chevaliers
Krak des Chevaliers, ar, قلعة الحصن, Qalʿat al-Ḥiṣn also called Hisn al-Akrad ( ar, حصن الأكراد, Ḥiṣn al-Akrād, rtl=yes, ) and formerly Crac de l'Ospital; Krak des Chevaliers or Crac des Chevaliers (), is a medieva ...
, which paved the way for the later final demise of the Crusader presence in the region.
Baybars died unexpectedly in July 1277 in his palace (called ''al-Qasr al-
Ablaq
Ablaq ( ar, أبلق; particolored; literally 'piebald') is an architectural technique involving alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. Records trace the beginnings of this type of masonry technique to the southern parts of S ...
'') in Damascus after drinking a poisoned cup that was intended for someone else.
His death was kept a secret and he was temporarily buried in the
Citadel of Damascus
The Citadel of Damascus ( ar, قلعة دمشق, Qalʿat Dimašq) is a large medieval fortified palace and citadel in Damascus, Syria. It is part of the Ancient City of Damascus, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
The loc ...
while arrangements could be made for his permanent burial and for a transition of power to his 18-year-old son
al-Sa'id Barakah.
Baybars had reportedly expressed a desire to be buried near the town of
Darayya
Darayya ( ar, دَارَيَّا, Dārayyā) is a suburb of Damascus in Syria, the centre of Darayya lying south-west of the centre of Damascus. Administratively it belongs to Rif Dimashq.
History and population
Darayya is one of the oldest ...
, but his son judged that he should be buried in a more prestigious location near the great mosque and near the tombs of illustrious
Ayyubid
The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultan of Egypt, Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni ...
sultans, including the
Mausoleum of Salah ad-Din.
On al-Sa'id's orders, the governor of Damascus,
emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
Aydamur, purchased a house opposite the
'Adiliyya Madrasa, in the
al-Amara Al-Amara ( ar, العمارة, al-‘Amārah), also known as al-Amarah Juwaniyyah ( ar, العمارة الجوانية, al-‘Amārah al-Juwwānīyah), is a prominent neighborhood in the old city of Damascus located a few meters away from The Gra ...
neighbourhood near the
Great Ummayyad Mosque.
The house, called ''Dar al-'Aqiqi'', had originally belonged to the father of
Salah ad-Din
(, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba ...
(Saladin), and Salah ad-Din himself had spent part of his childhood there.
It was remodeled into a madrasa and funerary complex. When al-Sa'id himself died in 1280, he was buried in the same mausoleum as his father.
The madrasa and mausoleum
Construction of the complex began in 1277 but did not finish until later. It was still unfinished when al-Sa'id died and was buried here in 1280, and the new sultan
al-Mansur Qalawun
( ar, قلاوون الصالحي, – November 10, 1290) was the seventh Bahri Mamluk sultan; he ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1290.
He was called (, "Qalāwūn the Victorious").
Biography and rise to power
Qalawun was a Kipchak, ancient Turkic ...
was required to see to its completion.
This may have been accomplished in 1281, with the mausoleum's decoration probably being the last element to be executed.
The architect of the complex was Ibrahim ibn Ghana’im al-Muhandis,
who was also responsible for building ''al-Qasr al-Ablaq,'' the palace of Baybars in Damascus, in 1264.
Like many subsequent
Mamluk foundations, the funerary complex of Baybars served multiple functions, which were outlined in its ''
waqf
A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or '' mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitabl ...
'' (trust agreement for charitable foundations under Islamic law). It included two
madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s (teaching
Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
), a ''Dar al-Hadith'' (school for teaching the
sayings of the Prophet), and the sultan's mausoleum (called a ''turba''). The complex included a monumental portal with a broad canopy of stone-carved
muqarnas
Muqarnas ( ar, مقرنص; fa, مقرنس), also known in Iranian architecture as Ahoopāy ( fa, آهوپای) and in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe, is a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture. It is the archetypal form of I ...
(honeycomb or stalactite-like forms) culminating in a shell-like hood, considered one of the most accomplished examples of its kind in Syria.
The portal and exterior of the building also demonstrates alternating layers of dark and light stone, known as
ablaq
Ablaq ( ar, أبلق; particolored; literally 'piebald') is an architectural technique involving alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. Records trace the beginnings of this type of masonry technique to the southern parts of S ...
masonry. Today, the portal and the mausoleum are the best-preserved historical parts of the complex.
The mausoleum is covered by a large dome and its interior is boldly decorated with marble paneling along its lower walls (
dadoes) and a large frieze of glass
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
s along its upper walls. The mosaics are reminiscent of the more famous ones found in the
Ummayyad Mosque nearby, illustrating scenes of trees and palaces. However, their craftsmanship is of somewhat lesser quality, suggesting that this skill was in decline compared to earlier periods.
The
mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
(a wall niche symbolizing the
direction of prayer
Prayer in a certain direction is characteristic of many world religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Baháʼí Faith.
Judaism
Jews traditionally pray in the direction of Jerusalem, where the "presence of the transcendent God ( ...
) also features an elaborate composition of marble mosaic paneling forming geometric and foliated patterns.
The muqarnas portal (the earliest example of which is the
Bimaristan of Nur al-Din), the marble dadoes, and (to a lesser extent) the mosaic friezes of the mausoleum were decorative elements that would recur throughout the Mamluk period after Baybars.
File:Entranceway (5348347368).jpg, The entrance portal of the madrasa complex, composed of different coloured stone (''ablaq
Ablaq ( ar, أبلق; particolored; literally 'piebald') is an architectural technique involving alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. Records trace the beginnings of this type of masonry technique to the southern parts of S ...
''), Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
inscriptions, and a ''muqarnas
Muqarnas ( ar, مقرنص; fa, مقرنس), also known in Iranian architecture as Ahoopāy ( fa, آهوپای) and in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe, is a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture. It is the archetypal form of I ...
'' canopy.
File:DamaskusBaibarMausoleum.jpg, The exterior of the mausoleum's dome.
File:Madrasa al-Zahiriyya, Damascus (دمشق), Syria - Burial chamber mihrab looking southwest - PHBZ024 2016 1317 - Dumbarton Oaks (edited).jpg, Mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
of the mausoleum of Baybars
Al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari ( ar, الملك الظاهر ركن الدين بيبرس البندقداري, ''al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Bunduqdārī'') (1223/1228 – 1 July 1277), of Turkic Kipchak ...
, with marble mosaic paneling and glass mosaics above.
File:Madrasa al-Zahiriyya, Damascus (دمشق), Syria - Detail of burial chamber mosaic - PHBZ024 2016 1321 - Dumbarton Oaks.jpg, A section of the glass mosaics along the walls of the mausoleum.
The Library
The madrasa had a library from the outset. Its first books were donated by the mother of al-Sa'id Barakah as part of the madrasa's endowment.
It was only turned into a "general library" in 1876 or 1877 by Sheikh
Tahir al-Jazairi
Tahir al-Jaza'iri ( ar, طاهر الجزائري; 1852 CE/1268 AH – 1920 CE/1338 AH) was a 19th century Syrian Muslim scholar and educational reformer and a great scholar of Tafsīr, Ḥadīth, Fiqh, Uṣūl, history and the Arabic language.
...
and Salim al-Bukhari, who collected thousands of items for the library.
He was helped in part by the governor of Damascus,
Midhat Pasha
Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha ( ota , احمد شفيق مدحت پاشا, 18 October 1822 – 26 April 1883) was an Ottoman democrat, kingmaker and one of the leading statesmen during the late Tanzimat period. He is most famous for leading the O ...
, who used an edict from the
Ottoman sultan to collect books from around the region.
The
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
was nationally recognized by the Syrian state and opened to the public in 1880 or 1881.
It continued to consolidate collections throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century and became the National Library.
It played a part in the
Arabic literary renaissance that was ongoing in Syria in that period.
In 1919 the "
Arab Academy was charged with the supervision of the al-Zahiriyya Library. … Its collection consisted at that time of the surviving manuscripts from different small libraries in Syria. … The collection grew from 2,465 manuscripts to 22,000 volumes between 1919 and 1945." In 1949 a legal deposit law decreed that two copies of every work published in Syria be deposited in the library. The law was not enforced until July 1983, when a presidential decree required the deposit of 5 copies of each work published by a Syrian author. In 1984 the
Al-Assad Library became the Syrian national library, replacing al-Zahiriyah Library.
The manuscript department includes over 13,000 classical
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
manuscripts, the oldest being Imam
Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Ahmad ibn Hanbal al-Dhuhli ( ar, أَحْمَد بْن حَنْبَل الذهلي, translit=Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal al-Dhuhlī; November 780 – 2 August 855 CE/164–241 AH), was a Muslim jurist, theologian, ascetic, hadith traditionist, and ...
’s ''Kitab al-zuhd'' and ''Kitab al-fada'il''. Other notable manuscripts include ''
Ta'rikh Dimashq'' by
Ibn 'Asakir
Ibn Asakir ( ar-at, ابن عساكر, Ibn ‘Asākir; 1105–c. 1176) was a Syrian Sunni Islamic scholar, who was one of the most renowned experts on Hadith and Islamic history in the medieval era. and a disciple of the Sufi mystic Abu al-Najib S ...
(1105–1175), ''al-Jam bayn al-gharibayn'' by Abu `Ubaydah Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al-Harawi (d. 1010), and ''Gharib al-hadith'' by
Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari (d. 889).
[Bibliography for Alternative Sources of ]Nahj al-Balagha
''Nahj al-Balagha'' ( ar, نَهْج ٱلْبَلَاغَة ', 'The Path of Eloquence') is the best-known collection of sermons, letters, and sayings attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, fourth Rashidun Caliph, first Shia Imam and the cousin and so ...
As of 2011, the library's holdings included some 100,000 holdings, 13,000 manuscripts, and 50,000 periodicals.
See also
*
Baybars
Al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari ( ar, الملك الظاهر ركن الدين بيبرس البندقداري, ''al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Bunduqdārī'') (1223/1228 – 1 July 1277), of Turkic Kipchak ...
*
Al-Adiliyah Madrasa
Al-Adiliyah Madrasa () is a 13th-century madrasah located in Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus. ...
*
Nur al-Din Madrasa
The Nur al-Din Madrasa ( ar, الْمَدْرَسَةُ النُّورِيَّة, al-Madrasah an-Nūrīyah) is a funerary madrasa in Damascus, Syria. It is in the Suq al-Khayattin, inside the city walls. It was built in 1167 by Nūr ad-Dīn Zang ...
*
Mausoleum of Saladin
The Mausoleum of Saladin holds the resting place and grave of the medieval Muslim Ayyubid Sultan Saladin. It is adjacent to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. It was built in 1196, three years after the death of Saladin. In addition to the ...
*
Mamluk Architecture
Mamluk architecture was the architectural style under the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517), which ruled over Egypt, the Levant, and the Hijaz from their capital, Cairo. Despite their often tumultuous internal politics, the Mamluk sultans were proli ...
References
External links
Madrasa al-Zahiriyya at ArchNet(includes pictures and floor plan)
Images of the Mausoleum of Baybars Manar al-Athar digital photo archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zahiriyah, Madrasa Az
Buildings and structures completed in 1277
Libraries in Syria
Buildings and structures in Damascus
Mamluk architecture in Syria
Mausoleums in Syria
Buildings and structures inside the walled city of Damascus
Madrasas in Damascus
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
Education in Damascus
13th-century establishments in the Mamluk Sultanate