Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun Mosque/Cairo

Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun Mosque/Cairo. Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun Mosque is a vast Comples and Historians have described it as The Pearl of Al-Moezz Street, the reason being that it is considered to be a Mamluk archetectual triumph which made it a truly individual style in Islamic architecture, within Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Al-Fatimi Heritage Street holds the richest treasures of Islamic antiquities and over looks the Sultan Qalawun Collection. The collection which was credited to Sultan Al-Mansur Qalawun who took the Throne of Egypt in 1276AD is one of the greatest surviving Moniments from the Mamluk Era. The Area has had long suffering problems with groundwater levels which threatened its survival, and in 2007 anintergrated restoration Project was finalized for the Qalawun Group, which included all archetectual and restoration works using injections for walls and soil. Who built Qalawun Mosque? And when was it built? The imposing Complex of Sultan Qalawun was constructed along a celebrated Historical Street in Cairo known as Shar’I el-Muizz Street in 1284 by Sultan Al Mansur Qalawun. The Complex hosts a Mosque, a Medersa, a Mausoleum and a Mauristan inside of it’s walls . In the 1920s the Mauristan was replaced by a Modern Hospital. The Complex portrays the typical Mamluk architecture of that time. The exterior windows of the whole of the Complex are influenced from Gothic Style, which Sultan Qalawun was familiar with from the Crusader’s Churches style of architecture. Built at the Centre of Islamic Cairo at a Place which is known as Bayn Al-Qasreen , or between the two palaces, named for the two Fatimid Palaces that were originally stood there. Like most of the Fatimid Buildings in the City, these Palaces were built over by subsequent controllers who looked to remove the influence of the Shi’a Dynasty, Qalawun actually constructed his Complex on the Foundation of one of these Palaces. What does the Complex of Qalawun Include? The Memorial of Qalawun included a Madrassa Style Mosque which are prominent by the teaching spaces on each of the Four Walls for each of the influential Schools of Islamic thought, and finally his Mausaleum plus a large Hospital. The Hospital which was a State of the Art for it’s day, provided Two Thousand Beds and many rare amenities for patients. It was functioning up until the late Ottoman Period which was the Nineteenth Century, but was demolished in 1910. The Mausoleum is the high point of the Qalawun’s Complex, and was modeled on the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, but stands in it’s own right. The construction was refurbished as a part of the project to revive the whole Al-Muizz Street which now stands out as one of the most stunning Monuments in Cairo, in actual fact it is regarded as one of the mopst stunning buildings across the Muslim World, a Mausoleum to compete with the well known Taj Mahal in India. This imposing Complex is one of a number of Mamluk Madrassa Mausoleum Complexes that still stand along Al-Muizz Street. The Madrassa of Sultan Barouq and the Mausoleum and Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammed are also along Al-Muizz Street, however of these two only Sultan Baroug’s Religious School is open to the Tourists. Dating from 1285 The Qala’un Complex is the Oldest and most Splendid of these Structures, constructed to memorialize Mamluk controllers of Cairo. At the opposite side of the Medersa the Mausoleum is depicted as the most striking construction in Cairo. The exterior Façade of the Mausoleum is aligned to the Outside Street, whilst the positioning of it’s interior is similar to that of the Madrassa. The octagonal shape of the building allows for the Prayer Qiblah meaning Direction to wall itself to face Mecca. In the interior of the building the Dome is lighted by the Vivid Color from Glass, which is set in Plaster and carved with Arabesque Designs. The strips of Marble, panels of polychrome stone, the painted Ceiling and the Decorative Mihrab gives an insight to the Mamluk Decorative Arts,