Sayf ad-Din Taynal an-Nasiri al-Ashrafi (d. 1343) was a prominent ''emir'' and ''

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'') ...

'' of

an-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 ...

, the Bahri Mamluk sultan 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 Mediter ...

. He served as the ''

Na'ib Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...

'' of

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

for three terms, and Gaza for one term, in the mid-14th-century during the reign of al-Nasir Muhammad. He ordered the construction of the large

Taynal Mosque The Taynal Mosque, or the Mosque of Emir Saif al-Din Taynal al-Hajib is a mosque in Tripoli, Lebanon. It is one of the most beautiful mosques in terms of architectural grandeur in the Levant region. Only second to Tripoli's Grand Mansouri Mosque ...

in Tripoli in 1336.Taynal Mosque
. Archnet Digital Library.

Early life

According to historian as-Safadi, Taynal was a ''mamluk'' of

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 Nove ...

, while 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 ...

writes that Taynal's allegiance was to an-Nasir Muhammad. His full title includes both '' nisbahs'' "al-Ashrafi" and "an-Nasiri."

Governor of Tripoli and Gaza

On 9 May 1326 Taynal replaced Qaratay as ''Na'ib'' ("governor") of Mamlakat Tarabulus (Tripoli Province) after being appointed by

Tankiz Sayf ad-Din Tankiz ibn Abdullah al-Husami an-Nasiri better known simply as Tankiz ( ar, تنكيز) (died May 1340) was the Damascus-based Turkic ''na'ib al-saltana'' (viceroy) of Syria from 1312 to 1340 during the reign of the Bahri Mamluk sulta ...

, the Viceroy of Syria. Throughout his first term as governor, Taynal opposed some of Tankiz's policies, arousing the latter's anger. As punishment, Tankiz demoted Taynal, assigning him to the post of ''Na'ib'' of Gaza. Taynal replaced Tuluntari al-Jukandari by

Muharram Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after R ...

733 (September/October 1332). Gaza was a less important province, the powers of its governor having been reduced in concurrence with Taynal's appointment. In 1335 relations between Taynal and Tankiz had warmed, and Taynal was reassigned as Na'ib of Tripoli. It was during this term, in 1336, that Taynal had the famous mosque bearing his name constructed. ''

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 ...

'' ("religious endowment") documents in the mosque indicate that he maintained vast wealth. The 14th-century traveler

Ibn Batutah Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berber Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, largely in the Muslim worl ...

wrote of the lavishness of the transportation convoys Taynal used in Tripoli. He resided in a mansion known as Dar al-Saadah (Abode of Felicity). Taynal had a house for himself built on the site of an "old Fatimid hospital," as noted by Ibn Batutah, near 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 historic ...

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 ...

and also maintained a residence in Damascus, which later became a religious school known as "Madrasah Taynaliyya." When Tankiz was deposed in 1340, Taynal was stripped of his governorship, but was reappointed in 1341. He served out his third term as governor until his death 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 = , ...

in 1343. Although the Taynal Mosque in Tripoli was also intended to be a

mausoleum 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 consid ...

for Taynal, he was buried in Damascus. ''Aruqtay'' was appointed as Governor of Tripoli when Taynal was dismissed.Mayer, 1933, p
78
/ref>

References

Bibliography

* * * {{refend 1343 deaths Bahri dynasty Mamluk emirs Tripoli, Lebanon Year of birth missing History of Gaza City