Qalawun complex

The Qalawun complex (Arabic: مجمع قلاون‎‎) is a massive complex in Cairo, Egypt that includes a madrasa, a hospital and a mausoleum. It was built by the Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad Ibn Qalawun in the 1280s; some thirty surviving mosques were built during his time.

The Qalawun Complex was built over the ruins of the Fatimid Palace of Cairo, with several halls in the Palace. It was sold to several people until it was finally bought by the Sultan Qalawun in 1283 AD. The structure resides in the heart of Cairo, in the Bayn al-Qasrayn, and has been a center for important religious ceremonies and rituals of the Islamic faith for years, stretching from the Mamluk dynasty through the Ottoman Empire.

The funerary complex of Sultan al-Mansur Sayf al-Din Qalawun, including both madrasa and mausoleum reportedly took 13 months to build, from 1284-1285. This fact is remarkable considering the sheer size and scope of the total complex. The relatively short amount of time it took to construct the complex is in large part due to the slave like labor the Sultan commanded. The hospital took less than six months to complete, the mausoleum and madrasa each taking about four months. The building project was supervised by emir ‘Alam al-Din Sinjar al-Shaja‘i, who forcefully employed hundreds of Mongol prisoners of war, calling upon workers throughout Fustat and Cairo to aid in the project. Al-Shaja’i used whatever means necessary to procure the large labor force needed to complete the project, even calling on people walking through the streets. The Complex was considered one of the most beautiful buildings at that time, where it included a school (Madrasah), a hospital (Bimaristan) and a mausoleum, with a Beautiful Dome. Historians claim that the columns holding the mausoleum structure were made of granite, marble, and other materials that were taken from another palace in Rhoda island. The complex was built in three stages, where the Hospital was finished first, the Mausoleum and then finally the school.

The structure was restored several times in the reign of al-Nasir Muhammad, the son and successor of Sultan Qalawun. He restored the minarets after a strong earthquake occurred in 1327 AD; he recorded the date of restoration on it.

Another restoration came when Abdul-Rahman Katkhuda, created a beautifully built Ottoman Sabil on the other side of the street in 1776.

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Wikipedia