The Emir Qurqumas Complex is located in
Medieval Cairo Medieval Cairo may refer to:
* History of Cairo during the Middle Ages
* Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo ( ar, قاهرة المعز, lit= Al-Mu'izz's Cairo), also called Historic Cairo or Medieval Cairo, refers generically to the historic areas of ...
, Egypt, in the
City of the dead.
Overview
About 200 meters south of Qansuh's tomb stands a complex which is two
mausoleums
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consi ...
joined together. That on the north is
sultan Inal's. Built in 1450–1456, it is in a ruinous state but is an example of a
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'') ...
mausoleum, with a domed funeral chamber, a
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 '' ...
, a
Sabil, a monumental door, and a
minaret. The complex also includes a
Khanqah, or monastery for the
Sufi Darvishes.
Inal had been a slave of
Sultan Barquq and could neither read nor write. He ruled from 1453 to 1460 and does not appear to have any distinction other than his lack of education. Adjoining Inal's Mausoleum is that of Qurqumas, built in 1507. It is in better condition and more elegant that Inal's, which is heavier in style.
Polish-Egyptian Restoration Works
In 1972, the Polish-Egyptian Group for the Restoration of Islamic Monuments was created. It was composed of specialists from several institutions, including the
and the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures,
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences ( pl, Polska Akademia Nauk, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society o ...
.
"The work on the site included archaeological excavations of grave chambers and foundations, anthropological research, architectural and conservation works, as well as historical studies, for example of the 16th-century donation deed of emir Qurqumas (''hogga'')".
As a result of these works, which lasted until 2000, a protected antiquities zone was established around the complex which also includes the funerary complex of the sultan Inal.
Qurqumas
Qurqumas was the commander-in-chief of the armies, also called Grand Amir, at the time of his death in 1510, the following is
Ibn Iyas describing his funeral, where the four
qadi
A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a '' sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and mino ...
s (judges) attended. A former
Mameluk
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'') ...
of
Ashraf Qaitbay, he was
manumitted
Manumission, or enfranchisement, is the act of freeing enslaved people by their enslavers. Different approaches to manumission were developed, each specific to the time and place of a particular society. Historian Verene Shepherd states that ...
by that monarch and subsequently progressed through promotions, beginning with the job of second equerry. He had been a commander of a thousand, commander of the guard, and appointed governor of the province of
Aleppo, under the reign of Amir
Tumanbay, when the latter was proclaimed Sultan of Syria.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emir Qurqumas Complex
Buildings and structures completed in 1456
1456 establishments
Mamluk architecture in Egypt
Medieval Cairo
Buildings and structures in Cairo
Tourist attractions in Cairo
Mausoleums in Egypt
Burial sites of the Burji dynasty
15th-century establishments in the Mamluk Sultanate