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Located on Muezz El Din Allah Street next to the Madrasa of Al Nasir Mohammed, this recently renovated structure is not to be missed. El Muezz Street has been restored, widened and spruced up primarily to attract tourists.
Today, benches line the avenue and it is not uncommon to see artists sketching one of the many monuments that this street has to offer. The entrance of Madrasa-Khanqa Sultan Barquq is clearly labelled and directly across the street from the entrance to the Egyptian Textile Museum.
Built from 1384 to 1386, this structure contains a madrasa (Islamic school), khanqah (Sufi residence) and a mausoleum. The madrasa’s financier was Sultan Barquq, who became the first Burgi Mamluk sultan after seizing power from the Mamluks in 1382.
Upon entering through the massive bronze-plated doors, be sure to look up at the ceiling. The octagonal dome has eight windows that light up the intricately decorated walls and arches. A passageway will lead you to the spacious courtyard, where wooden doors covered with circular bronze designs stand in the four corners of the courtyard. The doors lead upstairs to rooms for students, but these doors are closed and the upstairs level is no longer accessible to the public.
Iwans (vaulted halls with walls on three sides and one side completely open) are located on all four sides of the courtyard, one for each school of Islamic law. Many beautiful lamps now hang from the arches’ ceilings; they were installed as part of the renovation process and are replicas of the originals.
The qibla iwan is to the right of the entrance of the courtyard. Four red granite columns support the structure, which– along with three lateral arches– separate the iwan’s three aisles. To the left of the qibla iwan, there is a door that leads to the mausoleum of Fatima, Sultan Barquq’s daughter. The stained glass windows and arabesque paneling above have been recently restored.
It’s difficult to imagine what this structure looked like just a few years ago before the renovation procedures. Today, the madrasa-khanqah appears in excellent condition and will surely impress all visitors, whether or not they have a special interest in architecture or history.
It is remarkable and almost overwhelming; so make sure to admire the decorative details as well as the structure as a whole. Also, if you linger in the courtyard for long enough, one of the attendants will probably approach you and offer to tell you about the madrasa and its history for a small tip.
This structure is often misleadingly labelled the Madrasa-Mausoleum of Sultan Barquq, even though he is not buried there; only his daughter Fatima is.
Be sure to visit the neighboring Madrasa of Al Nasir Mohammed and the Madrasa of Sultan Al Mansur Qalawan.
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