Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
Encyclopedia
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is a madrassa and mausoleum
located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn
region of Cairo
, Egypt
. It was built in the name of the Mamluk
sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad
ibn Qalawun, but its construction began in 1296 under the reign of Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha
, who was sultan in between Al-Nasir Muhammad
's first and seconds reigns. When Al-Nasir Muhammad
returned to the throne in 1299 he oversaw its construction until its completion in 1303. The Islamic historian Al-Nuwayri
records that Al-Adil Kitbugha
built the mausoleum along with the prayer iwan, and Al-Nasir Muhammad
completed the construction of the building and added the minaret. Also, the Islamic historian Al-Maqrizi
reports that Al-Adil Kitbugha
oversaw construction of the building up to the top of the inscription band, and Al-Nasir Muhammad
carried out the rest of its construction.
was the ninth Mamluk sultan of Egypt, the youngest son of Sultan Qalawun
, 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 of 1293 Al-Nasir Muhammad
's older brother Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil was assassinated, leaving the throne to the 9-year-old Al-Nasir Muhammad
. For his first two reigns Al-Nasir Muhammad
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
was 24-years-old and took full command of the Mamluk
Sultanate. This period passed with no major conflicts, and marked the high point for Mamluk
power in Egypt. Al-Nasir Muhammad
set into motion many public works such as the construction of canals, squares, madrassas, and mosques.
Al-Nasir Muhammad
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
. However, it is the burial site of his mother Bint Sukbay and his son Anuk.
is located next to the mausoleum of Sultan Qalawun
in the Bayn al-Qasrayn
. 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
, but ends with the original foundation date of 1296. This implies that after regaining the throne in 1299, Al-Nasir Muhammad
replaced Al-Adil Kitbugha
’s name with his own without altering the second part of the inscription. The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
is one of only three madrassas in Cairo
that houses all four of the Sunni schools of jurisprudence.
The domed mausoleum
is separated from the madrassa by the main entrance corridor, which is accessed from a forecourt. Looking across the main entrance corridor are windows in the madrassa and the mausoleum
that visually link the buildings. The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
is home to the last stucco mihrab
in Egypt
, unique for its raised, egg-shaped stucco bosses in high relief with punched ornament decorating the hood of the mihrab
.
is its gothic marble portal, acquired from a Christian church in the city of Acre
after al-Ashraf Khalil's victory against the Crusaders
in 1291. After the battle Khalil appointed his emir "to destroy the city walls and demolish its churches". When the emir came upon the church with this portal as its gate he decided to transport it in its entirety back to Cairo
. He kept it for the rest of Khalil's reign and for all of Al-Nasir Muhammad
's first reign, but it was seized from him by Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha
and used in this madrassa.
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. The medieval Islamic Historian 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
s and madrassas 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.
. This is one of the only remaining stucco minaret
s in Cairo
, and includes decorations of medallions, keel-arched niches, and sections filled with geometric and floral patterns. These floral patterns are characteristic of stucco carvings from this period. Also, some of the geometric patterns resemble those used in the mihrab
of the al-Azhar Mosque
. A large band of Kufic
script runs along the top of the rectangular arcade.
Only the bottom rectangular section is original, the second story was added in a later period. It has an octagonal shape and green glass or ceramic elements that fill the mouldings that run around its keel-arched panels. This upper section must be from the Ottoman
era, and was most likely added by Sultan Inal
as it resembles another stone minaret he built in his name.
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 persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn
Bayn al-Qasrayn
Bayn al-Qasrayn is the district and plaza between two palaces constructed by the Fatimid dynasty in mediæval Islamic Cairo, within present day Cairo, Egypt. It is an element in the Fatimid Caliphate founding of the new city of Cairo.-Fatimid founding:...
region of Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. It was built in the name of the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
ibn Qalawun, but its construction began in 1296 under the reign of Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha , was the 10th Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from December 1294 to November 1296.-Background:He was originally an ordinary Mongol soldier in the Ilkhanid army of Hulagu...
, who was sultan in between Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
's first and seconds reigns. When Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
returned to the throne in 1299 he oversaw its construction until its completion in 1303. The Islamic historian Al-Nuwayri
Al-Nuwayri
Al-Nuwayrī, also Shihāb al-Dīn Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Wahhāb al-Nuwayri was a Muslim historian. He died in 1333.He is known for his work regarding the conquest of the Mongols in Syria, and wrote extensively about the history of the Mamluks in the 12th-13th century.-References:* The Historiography of...
records that Al-Adil Kitbugha
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha , was the 10th Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from December 1294 to November 1296.-Background:He was originally an ordinary Mongol soldier in the Ilkhanid army of Hulagu...
built the mausoleum along with the prayer iwan, and Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
completed the construction of the building and added the minaret. Also, the Islamic historian Al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrizi
Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn 'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhammad al-Maqrizi ; Arabic: , was an Egyptian historian more commonly known as al-Maqrizi or Makrizi...
reports that Al-Adil Kitbugha
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha , was the 10th Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from December 1294 to November 1296.-Background:He was originally an ordinary Mongol soldier in the Ilkhanid army of Hulagu...
oversaw construction of the building up to the top of the inscription band, and Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
carried out the rest of its construction.
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir MuhammadAl-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
was the ninth Mamluk sultan of Egypt, the youngest son of Sultan Qalawun
Qalawun
Saif ad-Dīn Qalawun aṣ-Ṣāliḥī was the seventh Mamluk sultan of Egypt...
, 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 of 1293 Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
's older brother Sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil was assassinated, leaving the throne to the 9-year-old Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
. For his first two reigns Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
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-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
was 24-years-old and took full command of the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
Sultanate. This period passed with no major conflicts, and marked the high point for Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
power in Egypt. Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
set into motion many public works such as the construction of canals, squares, madrassas, and mosques.
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
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
Qalawun
Saif ad-Dīn Qalawun aṣ-Ṣāliḥī was the seventh Mamluk sultan of Egypt...
. However, it is the burial site of his mother Bint Sukbay and his son Anuk.
Building
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir MuhammadMadrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is a madrassa and mausoleum located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn region of Cairo, Egypt. It was built in the name of the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, but its construction began in 1296 under the reign of Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha, who was sultan in between...
is located next to the mausoleum of Sultan Qalawun
Qalawun
Saif ad-Dīn Qalawun aṣ-Ṣāliḥī was the seventh Mamluk sultan of Egypt...
in the Bayn al-Qasrayn
Bayn al-Qasrayn
Bayn al-Qasrayn is the district and plaza between two palaces constructed by the Fatimid dynasty in mediæval Islamic Cairo, within present day Cairo, Egypt. It is an element in the Fatimid Caliphate founding of the new city of Cairo.-Fatimid founding:...
. 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-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
, but ends with the original foundation date of 1296. This implies that after regaining the throne in 1299, Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
replaced Al-Adil Kitbugha
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha , was the 10th Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from December 1294 to November 1296.-Background:He was originally an ordinary Mongol soldier in the Ilkhanid army of Hulagu...
’s name with his own without altering the second part of the inscription. The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is a madrassa and mausoleum located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn region of Cairo, Egypt. It was built in the name of the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, but its construction began in 1296 under the reign of Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha, who was sultan in between...
is one of only three madrassas in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
that houses all four of the Sunni schools of jurisprudence.
The domed mausoleum
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 persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
is separated from the madrassa by the main entrance corridor, which is accessed from a forecourt. Looking across the main entrance corridor are windows in the madrassa and the mausoleum
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 persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
that visually link the buildings. The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is a madrassa and mausoleum located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn region of Cairo, Egypt. It was built in the name of the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, but its construction began in 1296 under the reign of Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha, who was sultan in between...
is home to the last stucco mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, unique for its raised, egg-shaped stucco bosses in high relief with punched ornament decorating the hood of the mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
.
Portal
The most unique aspect of the Madrassa of Al-Nasir MuhammadMadrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is a madrassa and mausoleum located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn region of Cairo, Egypt. It was built in the name of the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, but its construction began in 1296 under the reign of Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha, who was sultan in between...
is its gothic marble portal, acquired from a Christian church in the city of Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
after al-Ashraf Khalil's victory against the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
in 1291. After the battle Khalil appointed his emir "to destroy the city walls and demolish its churches". 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
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. He kept it for the rest of Khalil's reign and for all of Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Al-Nasir Muhammad b. Cairo 1285, d...
's first reign, but it was seized from him by Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha
Al-Adil Kitbugha
Kitbugha , was the 10th Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from December 1294 to November 1296.-Background:He was originally an ordinary Mongol soldier in the Ilkhanid army of Hulagu...
and used in this madrassa.
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. The medieval Islamic Historian Al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrizi
Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn 'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhammad al-Maqrizi ; Arabic: , was an Egyptian historian more commonly known as al-Maqrizi or Makrizi...
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
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and madrassas within Cairo, this gateway holds historical significance, acting as a trophy for the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
victory over the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
. Al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrizi
Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn 'Abd al-Qadir ibn Muhammad al-Maqrizi ; Arabic: , was an Egyptian historian more commonly known as al-Maqrizi or Makrizi...
's high praise for this portal could be due to this added sentimental value or its exotic appeal.
Minaret
The highly stylized and decorated stucco designs in this minaret adds another element of uniqueness to the Madrassa of Al-Nasir MuhammadMadrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is a madrassa and mausoleum located in the Bayn al-Qasrayn region of Cairo, Egypt. It was built in the name of the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, but its construction began in 1296 under the reign of Sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha, who was sultan in between...
. This is one of the only remaining stucco minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
s in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, and includes decorations of medallions, keel-arched niches, and sections filled with geometric and floral patterns. These floral patterns are characteristic of stucco carvings from this period. Also, some of the geometric patterns resemble those used in the mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
of the al-Azhar Mosque
Al-Azhar Mosque
Al-Azhar Mosque is a mosque in Islamic Cairo in Egypt. Al-Mu‘izz li-Dīn Allāh of the Fatimid Caliphate commissioned its construction for the newly established capital city in 970. Its name is usually thought to allude to the Islamic prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatimah, a revered figure in Islam...
. A large band of Kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
script runs along the top of the rectangular arcade.
Only the bottom rectangular section is original, the second story was added in a later period. It has an octagonal shape and green glass or ceramic elements that fill the mouldings that run around its keel-arched panels. This upper section must be from the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era, and was most likely added by Sultan Inal
Inal
Inal is a village and rural commune in Mauritania....
as it resembles another stone minaret he built in his name.