SET OF QURQUMAS EMIR KEBIR
The finest Mamluk ensemble, comprising a palace, mausoleum, mosque, sabil, kuttab and madrassa.
This is probably the most beautiful Mamluk ensemble to be found outside the walls of Cairo, apart from the Sultan Ghoury complex. Adjacent to the mausoleum of Inal to the north, it includes a palace, a mausoleum, a mosque, a sabil, a kuttab and a madrassa, in an architectural style of great finesse that forms a harmonious whole. It was built in 1507 by Prince Qurqumas, who was one of the most powerful Mamelukes among the Sultans Qatbay and Ghoury. He died in 1510 at the age of 60, and was then commander-in-chief of the armies and enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for his courage and integrity.
One will be surprised by the large proportions of the mosque: the square courtyard is bordered by four iwans of two different sizes. The one in the qibla (direction of Mecca) is the largest of the four, it gives access to the mausoleum of Prince Qurqumas. The marble facings of the walls and the floor paving made of the same colours of marble combine finely with the arches of the two large iwans, which are supported at their base by carved stalactites.
The sabil, although badly damaged, still has a marble basin that was used to lower the buckets to draw water from the cistern located on the lower floor. The kuttab on the first floor, although small in size, has a beautifully carved wooden balcony. The minaret is also superb with its carved lozenges and zig-zag twists.
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