The
El-Ghuri Mausoleum
The El-Ghuri Mausoleum, built around 1504 by Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, functions today as a cultural center that occasionally produces plays. It is distinguishable from his mosque which is on the adjacent corner by its unfinished cupola and a sabil-kuttab. From the vestibule, the funeral chamber is on the right, and to the left is a prayer hall with three liwans evenly distributed around the raised and covered part of a lantern. This was once part of a khanda, where Sufis came to perform the dikr.
The sabil-kuttab is on the front of the mausoleum, and
is said to be a fine example of Mameluke architecture.
The facade has stone panels atop three latticed bays, and
narrows the street at that point. To the south, the
minaret of the mosque narrows the street there, so that a
"square" is formed between the two structures,
and was the site of the silk bazaar. The two structures
together, the mausoleum and mosque, have been referred to
as one of the most impressive complexes in Cairo. The
interior of the sabil-kuttab is highly decorative, with
marble floors and ceiling supported by rounded, painted
and gilt beams.
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Design, Layout and Graphic Art by Jimmy
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