Khanqah of Baybars II
Encyclopedia
The Khanqah of Baybars II is a medieval building located on historic Muizz Street
in Cairo
, Egypt
. It was built in 1309, in the medieval Islamic Cairo
era, to accommodate four hundred Sufis, and children of the Mamluk
s. This is the oldest Khanqah
, or hostel
, that has survived in modern Cairo.
(d.1310, Cairo) (royal name: al-Malik al-Muzaffar Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Jashnakir al-Mansuri; Arabic: الملك المظفر ركن الدين بيبرس الجاشنكير المنصورى) (Nickname: Abu al-Fath (Arabic: أبوالفتح)), was known as al-gashankir, "the taster", a court position he held at one point. He served as the Atabek
of Egypt and after the death of Emir Salar, he became the Sultan of Egypt
in 1309. He sponsored lavish decoration of the building.
recess covered with a hood of stalactites. A block of pharaonic stone engraved with hieroglyphics was used for the doorstill.
The Minaret
, capped with ribbed Dome
that was once covered with green Faience
tiles, is located on the south side of the building. The first Tier is square and trimmed with rows of stalactites, or Muqarnas vaulting, while the second is cylindrical.
Muizz street
Al-Muizz Street in Islamic Cairo, Egypt is one of the oldest streets in Cairo, approximately one kilometer long. A United Nations study found it to have the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world...
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...
, 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 1309, in the medieval Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo is a part of central Cairo noted for its historically important mosques and other Islamic monuments. It is overlooked by the Cairo Citadel....
era, to accommodate four hundred Sufis, and children 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...
s. This is the oldest Khanqah
Khanqah
A Khanqah, Khaniqah , ribat, zawiya, or tekke is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, or tariqa, and is a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation...
, or hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
, that has survived in modern Cairo.
Builder
Baibars al-Jashnakir (Arabic: بيبرس الجاشنكير ) or Baibars IIBaibars II
Not to be confused with his more famous namesake, Baibars al-BunduqdariBaibars al-Jashnakir or Baibars II. Royal name: al-Malik al-Muzaffar Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Jashnakir al-Mansuri, ....
(d.1310, Cairo) (royal name: al-Malik al-Muzaffar Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Jashnakir al-Mansuri; Arabic: الملك المظفر ركن الدين بيبرس الجاشنكير المنصورى) (Nickname: Abu al-Fath (Arabic: أبوالفتح)), was known as al-gashankir, "the taster", a court position he held at one point. He served as the Atabek
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
of Egypt and after the death of Emir Salar, he became the Sultan of Egypt
Sultan of Egypt
Sultan of Egypt was the status held by the rulers of Egypt after the establishment of the Ayyubid Dynasty of Saladin in 1174 until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Though the extent of the Egyptian Sultanate ebbed and flowed, it generally included Sham and Hejaz, with the consequence that the...
in 1309. He sponsored lavish decoration of the building.
Building
Within the confines of the irregular site, the various functions of the Khanqah were interwoven into an architecturally rich building complex. The elegant facade has an imposing arched entrance that projects in to the street. The doorway is set back in a marbleMarble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
recess covered with a hood of stalactites. A block of pharaonic stone engraved with hieroglyphics was used for the doorstill.
The 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....
, capped with ribbed Dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
that was once covered with green Faience
Faience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
tiles, is located on the south side of the building. The first Tier is square and trimmed with rows of stalactites, or Muqarnas vaulting, while the second is cylindrical.