Bab Zuweila
Encyclopedia
Bab Zuweila is a medieval gate in Cairo
, which is still standing in modern times. It was also known as Bawabbat al-Mitwali during the Ottoman
period, and is sometimes spelled Bab Zuwayla. It is considered one of the major landmarks of the city, and is the last remaining southern gate from the walls of Fatimid
Cairo in the 11th and 12th century. Its name comes from Bab, meaning "Door", and Zuwayla, the name of a troop of fearsome Berber
warriors from the western desert who were charged with guarding the gate.
's Dynasty. In 1092, Badr al-Jamali built a second wall around Cairo. Bab Zuweila was the southern gate in this wall. It has twin towers (minarets) which can be accessed via a steep climb. In earlier times they were used to scout for enemy troops in the surrounding countryside, and in modern times, they are hailed for providing one of the best views of Old Cairo.
The structure also has a famous platform. Executions would sometimes take place there, and it was also from this location that the Sultan would stand to watch the beginning of the Hajj
, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca
.
Sometimes the severed heads of criminals would be displayed along the tops of the walls. This was done as recently as 1811, when the severed heads of Mamluks from the Citadel massacre were mounted on spikes here.
The corresponding gate on the northern side of the city was the Bab al-Futuh. Futuh
is an Arabic word meaning "opening". Bab Al-Futuh
still stands strongly on the northern side of the Muizz street.
. Hulagu sent six messengers to Qutuz
in Cairo, demanding his surrender. The message that was brought was::
Qutuz responded by killing the six envoys, "halving them at the waist," and displaying their heads on Bab Zuweila. He then allied with a fellow Mamluk, Baibars
, to defend Islam against the Mongol threat. Their combined forces, perhaps 20,000 strong, marched north to confront the Mongolian army, which was led by Kibutqa. This clash of the Mamluk and Mongolian armies was known as the Battle of Ain Jalut
, and resulted in a resounding Mamluk victory. The battle was pivotal for the region, as it marked the first time that the seemingly unstoppable Mongols suffered defeat. The Battle was a turning point in the expansion of their empire, and effectively set their western border, while confirming the Mamluks as the dominant force in the Middle East, and the beginning of the end of the Mongol presence in the area.
.
Abrupt changes in a wall such as the unexpected use of different materials, different sizes or types or stone
, different mortars
or different surface renderings are the visual elements among many that constitute the language of "reading walls". the area between Bab Zuweila and Al-Muayyad Mosque has varied and distinct building layers and is an ideal place for the visual detection of additional periods.
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...
, which is still standing in modern times. It was also known as Bawabbat al-Mitwali during 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...
period, and is sometimes spelled Bab Zuwayla. It is considered one of the major landmarks of the city, and is the last remaining southern gate from the walls of Fatimid
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
Cairo in the 11th and 12th century. Its name comes from Bab, meaning "Door", and Zuwayla, the name of a troop of fearsome Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
warriors from the western desert who were charged with guarding the gate.
Architecture
The city of Cairo was founded in 969 as the royal city of the FatimidFatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
's Dynasty. In 1092, Badr al-Jamali built a second wall around Cairo. Bab Zuweila was the southern gate in this wall. It has twin towers (minarets) which can be accessed via a steep climb. In earlier times they were used to scout for enemy troops in the surrounding countryside, and in modern times, they are hailed for providing one of the best views of Old Cairo.
The structure also has a famous platform. Executions would sometimes take place there, and it was also from this location that the Sultan would stand to watch the beginning of the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
.
Sometimes the severed heads of criminals would be displayed along the tops of the walls. This was done as recently as 1811, when the severed heads of Mamluks from the Citadel massacre were mounted on spikes here.
The corresponding gate on the northern side of the city was the Bab al-Futuh. Futuh
Futuh
In classical Islamic literature the futūh were the early Arab-Muslim conquests which facilitated the spread of Islam and Islamic civilization.Futūh is an Arabic word with the literal meaning of "openings"....
is an Arabic word meaning "opening". Bab Al-Futuh
Bab Al-Futuh
Bab al Futuh is a gate in the walls of the Old City of Cairo, Egypt, facing north. It was finished in the year 1087. It stands at the northern end of Muizz Street....
still stands strongly on the northern side of the Muizz street.
Mamluk era
Bab Zuweila is featured in a major story from the 13th century. In 1260, the Mongol leader Hulagu was attempting to attack Egypt, after he had successfully forced the surrender of DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. Hulagu sent six messengers to Qutuz
Qutuz
Saif ad-Din Qutuz, also spelled Kutuz, was the third of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt in the Turkic line from 1259 until his death in 1260. It was under his leadership that the Mamluks achieved success against the Mongols in the key Battle of Ain Jalut...
in Cairo, demanding his surrender. The message that was brought was::
Qutuz responded by killing the six envoys, "halving them at the waist," and displaying their heads on Bab Zuweila. He then allied with a fellow Mamluk, Baibars
Baibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
, to defend Islam against the Mongol threat. Their combined forces, perhaps 20,000 strong, marched north to confront the Mongolian army, which was led by Kibutqa. This clash of the Mamluk and Mongolian armies was known as the Battle of Ain Jalut
Battle of Ain Jalut
The Battle of Ain Jalut took place on 3 September 1260 between Mamluks and the Mongols in eastern Galilee, in the Jezreel Valley, not far from Ein Harod....
, and resulted in a resounding Mamluk victory. The battle was pivotal for the region, as it marked the first time that the seemingly unstoppable Mongols suffered defeat. The Battle was a turning point in the expansion of their empire, and effectively set their western border, while confirming the Mamluks as the dominant force in the Middle East, and the beginning of the end of the Mongol presence in the area.
Mosque of al-Muayyad
To the west of the Bab Zuwayla had been a dungeon, which once imprisoned sheik Amir Al Mu'ayyad. While still a prisoner, he had vowed that if he were ever released, he would someday destroy the dungeon, and build a mosque in its place. He was indeed eventually released, and rose to became Sultan of all Egypt. True to his word, he razed the old dungeon, and built a new mosque on the location in 1415, the Mosque of Sultan al-MuayyadMosque of Sultan al-Muayyad
The Mosque of Sultan al-Mu'ayyad is a Mosque in Cairo, Egypt next to Bab Zuwayla built by the Mamluk sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Sayf ad-Din Shaykh from whom it takes its name. Construction began in 1415 and the mosque was completed in 1421. The complex included a Friday mosque and a madrasa for four madhhabs...
.
Reading the walls
Bab Zuwaila has survived since 1092 until now by humbly accepting layers added to it or letting go of layers subtracted from its original entity. Layers added during later periods are usually distinguished from earlier ones, while layers removed tend to leave traces. To "read a wall" is to visiually detect these differences.Abrupt changes in a wall such as the unexpected use of different materials, different sizes or types or stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, different mortars
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
or different surface renderings are the visual elements among many that constitute the language of "reading walls". the area between Bab Zuweila and Al-Muayyad Mosque has varied and distinct building layers and is an ideal place for the visual detection of additional periods.
Excavations
Excavations undertaken during the course of conversation have added to the understanding of the gate and its surroundings. the Following is a list of Discoveries made:- The original Floor and ramp system containing re-used inscribed pharonic blocks from 1092.
- The street pavement added by Al=Kamil (1218-1238) whose horse slipped on the original ramp.
- The original pivot-shoe-ball bearing syste and the granite threshold of the woode door leaves
- Remains of shops from the last two centuriesa drinking trough for animals that dates between the 1092 and 1415.
External links
- A close-up photo of Bab-Zuweila (low resolution) - Courtesy of ARCE (American Research Center in Egypt)
- A close-up photo of Bab-Zuweila (high resolution) - Courtesy of ARCE (American Research Center in Egypt)
