This is one of the extraordinarily wonderful Islamic Monuments In the
Islamic World. If Ancient Egypt is proud of the Pyramids of Giza,
Islamic Egypt has to be proud of the Sultan Hassan Madrassa. The founder
of this gigantic monument is the Sultan Hassan, son of the great
Mamluke Sultan Al-Nasser Mohamed Ibn Qalawoun. Sultan Hassan ruled
twice, the first time in 1347, when he was 13 years old, only to be
dethroned by the other Mamluke princes and generals. The second time was
in 1356A.D, and before he had time to put an end to the power of the
princes and high officials, they revolted against him, and the chief of
the army with other generals attacked him. It said that he escaped from
the Citadel and hid in Cairo; but he was found and imprisoned, never to
be seen again! Most probably he was murdered 16 years after his
ascension to the throne. Either way, he left 10 sons and 6 daughters.
The Sultan Hassan gave order for the construction of
this Madrassa to be under the supervision of Prince Mohamed Ibn Baylik
Al-Muhssani in 1361A.D, and the work continued for 4 years. The Mosque
was almost complete when Sultan Hassan disappeared or was killed. It was
finished by one of his functionaries whose name was Bashir Al-Gamdar.
The site of the Madrassa was previously known as Souk Al-Khayl or the
Horses Market. The Madrassa was built of stones, but some internal parts
and details were built of bricks, faced with stones.
The Madrassa-Mosque was built according to the
cruciform, an open courtyard surrounded by 4 iwans. It contains 4
Madrassas or religious schools and is 7,906 square metres big. It is
very distinguishable due to its many sides. It has 4 fa�ades, the most
important being the 2 main facades.
The most remarkable fa�ade is the northeast one. It
is 145m long and 38m tall! Its shear wall has 4 pairs of windows set
vertically, and at the top of the wall is a massive cornice of 5 layers
of stalactites, projecting about 1.5m.
The Sahn, or the court, of the Mosque is almost square,
about 34m long and 32m wide, with a large ablution fountain in the
centre, which is covered with a wooden dome, carried on 8 marble columns
around its capital decorated with a band of inscriptions of The Qur'an
(the verse of Al-Kursi). At each corner of the sahn is a door that leads
to one of the 4 Madrassas (schools); the biggest one being the
Hanafiyya Madrassa, which occupies an area of 898 square metres.
The quibla iwan is the biggest of the 4 iwans of the
Mosque. In its wall, 2 windows in recesses, and an oculus above the
mihrab, the pointed-arched mihrab is fine, and covered with marble, and
there are small double columns supporting the frame with complex joggled
voussoirs.
On the rectangular outer frame is a band of Naskhi
inscription. Flanking the Mihrab are windows with bronze grills. The
marble Minbar is covered with coloured panels of marble decorated in its
upper part by floral motifs.
The Dekkat Al-Mouballegh or the bench of the repeater
is situated at the front of the quibla iwan, and it is made of marble,
raised on 8 pillars and 3 piers. There are 2 doors opened in the Quibla
wall leading to a mausoleum dome behind the mihrab, where the Sultan is
supposed to be buried. The Mausoleum dome is 21 square metres and its
decoration is similar to that of the quibla iwan.
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