The Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is 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 '' ...
and
mausoleum located in the
Bayn al-Qasrayn
Bayn al-Qasrayn () is the district and plaza between two former palace complexes constructed in the 10th century by the Fatimid dynasty in medieval Islamic Cairo, within present day Cairo, Egypt. It was an original element in the Fatimid Caliphate ...
area of
al-Muizz street in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
,
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 Medit ...
. It was built in the name of 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
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
ibn Qalawun, but its construction began between 1294 and 1295 under the reign of Sultan
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha ( ar, كتبغا), royal name: al-Malik al-Adil Zayn-ad-Din Kitbugha Ben Abd-Allah al-Mansuri al-Turki al-Mughli; ar, الملك العادل زين الدين كتبغا بن عبد الله المنصورى التركى المغل ...
, who was sultan in between
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
's first and seconds reigns.
When
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
returned to the throne in 1299 he oversaw its construction until its completion in 1303.
It is adjacent to the earlier
hospital and funerary complex of Sultan Qalawun and the later
Madrasa of Sultan Barquq.
Historical background
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
was the ninth Mamluk sultan of Egypt, the youngest son of Sultan
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 Turki ...
, and lived from 1285 to 1341. He was inaugurated as sultan three times, from 1293 to 1294, from 1299 to 1309, and from 1309 to 1341. In December 1293
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
's older brother Sultan
Al-Ashraf Khalil
Al-Ashraf Salāh ad-Dīn Khalil ibn Qalawūn ( ar, الملك الأشرف صلاح الدين خليل بن قلاوون; c. 1260s – 14 December 1293) was the eighth Bahri Mamluk sultan, succeeding his father Qalawun. He served from 12 Novem ...
was assassinated, leaving the throne to the 9-year-old
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
. For his first two reigns
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
played the role of a nominal sultan, with his vice sultan and viziers being the active rulers due to his young age. By the time of his third reign
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
was 24 years old and took full command of 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'') ...
Sultanate. This period passed with no major conflicts, and marked the high point for
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'') ...
power in Egypt.
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
set into motion many public works such as the construction of canals, squares, madrasas, and
mosques.
This madrasa was begun by Sultan
al-'Adil Katbugha, who ruled from 1294 to 1296 (in between al-Nasir Muhammad's first and second reigns), but it was taken over and completed by al-Nasir Muhammad during his second reign (1299-1309). The Islamic historian
Al-Nuwayri records that
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha ( ar, كتبغا), royal name: al-Malik al-Adil Zayn-ad-Din Kitbugha Ben Abd-Allah al-Mansuri al-Turki al-Mughli; ar, الملك العادل زين الدين كتبغا بن عبد الله المنصورى التركى المغل ...
built the mausoleum along with the prayer iwan, and
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
completed the construction of the building and added the minaret.
Also, the Islamic historian
Al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrīzī or Maḳrīzī (Arabic: ), whose full name was Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-'Abbās Aḥmad ibn 'Alī ibn 'Abd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad al-Maqrīzī (Arabic: ) (1364–1442) was a medieval Egyptian Arab historian during the Mamluk era, kn ...
reports that
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha ( ar, كتبغا), royal name: al-Malik al-Adil Zayn-ad-Din Kitbugha Ben Abd-Allah al-Mansuri al-Turki al-Mughli; ar, الملك العادل زين الدين كتبغا بن عبد الله المنصورى التركى المغل ...
oversaw construction of the building up to the top of the inscription band, and
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
carried out the rest of its construction.
It was inaugurated in 1303, when the minaret was added.
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
was never buried in the mausoleum named after him. He was afraid of unrest after his death because of the rivalry between his emirs, and chose to be buried in secret at his father's mausoleum, the mausoleum of Sultan
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 Turki ...
.
However, it is the burial site of his mother Bint Sukbay and his son Anuk.
Architecture
General overview
![Al-Nasir Muhammad Mihrab](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Al-Nasir_Muhammad_Mihrab.jpg)
The Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is located next to the mausoleum complex of his father, Sultan
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 Turki ...
, and that of the later Sultan
Barquq, in the
Bayn al-Qasrayn
Bayn al-Qasrayn () is the district and plaza between two former palace complexes constructed in the 10th century by the Fatimid dynasty in medieval Islamic Cairo, within present day Cairo, Egypt. It was an original element in the Fatimid Caliphate ...
area. It is made of brick and has stucco designs and inscriptions on the exterior and interior. The inscription along the façade is in the name of
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
, but ends with the original foundation date of 1296.
This implies that after regaining the throne in 1299
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
replaced
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha ( ar, كتبغا), royal name: al-Malik al-Adil Zayn-ad-Din Kitbugha Ben Abd-Allah al-Mansuri al-Turki al-Mughli; ar, الملك العادل زين الدين كتبغا بن عبد الله المنصورى التركى المغل ...
’s name with his own without altering the second part of the inscription.
The Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is one of only three madrasas in Cairo that housed all four of the
Sunni schools of jurisprudence.
The madrasa is home to the last stucco ''
mihrab'' (niche indicating 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 ( ...
) in Egypt, unique for its raised, egg-shaped stucco bosses in high relief with punched ornament decorating the hood of the ''mihrab''.
The style is highly reminiscent of stucco carving produced in
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
under
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 ...
Ilkhanid
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm, ...
rule and historians have suggested that it was crafted by artists from Mongol Iran or Tabriz.
Aside from the ''mihrab'', relatively little decoration has survived overall in the interior of al-Nasir Muhammad's building.
The domed mausoleum is separated from the madrasa by the main entrance corridor, from which it is accessed.
Looking across the main entrance corridor are windows in the madrasa and the mausoleum that visually link the two.
This is essentially the same layout as the
mausoleum-madrasa of Sultan Qalawun (his father) next door.
The dome of the mausoleum collapsed in 1870 and was never replaced, leaving only the
drum of the dome visible today.
A simple wooden roof now covers the space once covered by the dome.
The portal
![Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muahmmad Portal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Madrasa_of_Al-Nasir_Muahmmad_Portal.jpg)
The most unique aspect of the Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is its gothic marble portal, acquired from a church in the city of
Acre after
al-Ashraf Khalil
Al-Ashraf Salāh ad-Dīn Khalil ibn Qalawūn ( ar, الملك الأشرف صلاح الدين خليل بن قلاوون; c. 1260s – 14 December 1293) was the eighth Bahri Mamluk sultan, succeeding his father Qalawun. He served from 12 Novem ...
's
victory
The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes ...
against the
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
in 1291.
The identification of the church in question is debated: some sources state it was the
Church of Saint Andrew, while other sources name the Church of St Agnes or the Church of Saint John the Baptist. According to medieval Muslim historian
al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrīzī or Maḳrīzī (Arabic: ), whose full name was Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-'Abbās Aḥmad ibn 'Alī ibn 'Abd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad al-Maqrīzī (Arabic: ) (1364–1442) was a medieval Egyptian Arab historian during the Mamluk era, kn ...
, after the battle Khalil appointed his emir ʿAlam al-Din Sanjar al-Shujaʿi al-Mansuri () "to destroy the city walls and demolish its churches".
[Al-Maqrizi. Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad. Trans. Martyn Smith.Pub 2009. Accessed 8 March 2011] When the emir came upon the church with this portal as its gate he decided to transport it in its entirety back to
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
.
He kept it for the rest of Khalil's reign and for all of
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( ar, الملك الناصر ناصر الدين محمد بن قلاوون), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad ( ar, الناصر محمد), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qal ...
's first reign, but it was seized from him by Sultan
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha ( ar, كتبغا), royal name: al-Malik al-Adil Zayn-ad-Din Kitbugha Ben Abd-Allah al-Mansuri al-Turki al-Mughli; ar, الملك العادل زين الدين كتبغا بن عبد الله المنصورى التركى المغل ...
and used in this madrasa.
The portal "consists of a pointed arch with a triple recess flanked by three slender columns on each side".
At the top of the arch "Allah" has been inscribed. Al-Maqrizi praised this portal for its craftsmanship, saying "Its gate is among the most amazing things the sons of Adam have crafted, for it is made from one piece of white marble, marvelous in form and exalted in workmanship".
Although there are several other distinguished portals in
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s and madrasas within Cairo, this gateway holds historical significance, acting as a trophy for the Muslim victory over the Crusaders. Al-Maqrizi's high praise for this portal could be due to this added sentimental value or its exotic appeal.
The minaret
![Madrasa_of_Al-Nasir_Muhammad](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Madrasa_of_Al-Nasir_Muhammad.jpg)
The highly stylized and decorated stucco designs on the lower rectangular section of this minaret add another element of uniqueness to the Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad. This is one of the only remaining stucco
minarets in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
, and includes decorations of medallions,
keel-arched niches, and sections filled with geometric and floral patterns.
The medallions and keel-arched niches are similar to those of earlier Fatimid and Ayyubid decoration, and the floral patterns are characteristic of stucco carvings from this period.
Some of the geometric patterns resemble those used in the
mihrab of the
al-Azhar Mosque
Al-Azhar Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأزهر, al-Jāmiʿ al-ʾAzhar, lit=The Resplendent Congregational Mosque, arz, جامع الأزهر, Gāmiʿ el-ʾazhar), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt in the histori ...
.
A band of
Kufic
Kufic script () is a style of Arabic script that gained prominence early on as a preferred script for Quran transcription and architectural decoration, and it has since become a reference and an archetype for a number of other Arabic scripts. It ...
script runs through the lower decorative arcade, while a large inscription in
Thuluth
''Thuluth'' ( ar, ثُلُث, ' or ar, خَطُّ الثُّلُثِ, '; fa, ثلث, ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is a script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new s ...
script crowns the top of the rectangular section, just below a balcony of sculpted
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 ...
, and contains the name of al-Nasir Muhammad.
Some historians have suggested that the quality and density of the stucco work here indicates the involvement of Maghribi or Andalusi craftsmen in its creation.
The minaret is also unusual in that it was built directly above the entrance portal and on top of the main entrance corridor, a design decision that was rare in
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 ...
which usually places minarets on their own solid buttresses aside from the entrance in order to ensure greater stability.
Only the bottom rectangular section is original, the second story was most likely added by
Sultan Inal as it resembles another stone minaret he built in his name.
It has an octagonal shaft and green glass or ceramic elements that fill the mouldings that run around its keel-arched panels.
The uppermost section above this is probably from the Ottoman era.
References
{{Islamic Cairo
Mamluk architecture in Egypt
Madrasas in Egypt
Mausoleums in Egypt
Buildings and structures in Cairo
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1303
14th-century madrasas