The Art And Architecture of Islamic Cairo

above: Mausoleum and madrasa of Sultan al-Salih.
118 The Art and Architecture of Islamic Cairo
necessity for aligning the main buildings towards Mecca. These
irregularities were compounded when al-Salih’s widow, Shajar
al-Durr, added his mausoleum to the madrasa in 1249. In building
this mausoleum she not only created a funerary madrasa, but also
established the subsequent practice of interring the benefactor in the
religious institution of his or her foundation. The mausoleum of
al-Salih is a domed cube set adjacent to the northern wing of the
madrasa and projecting out of the main street façade. The profile of
the dome is similar to that of the mausoleum of al-Shafi’i, but it
springs from a stepped, octagonal zone of transition pierced on four
sides by pointed and hexagonal shaped windows. The street façade
is divided by three keel-arched recesses opened at ground level by
rectangular windows with iron grilles. The interior of the tomb
retains much of the original Ayyubid wood carving in the cenotaph,
doors, panels and window shutters. The mihrab is flanked by green
columns with bell-shaped capitals and until recently there were
traces of the original mosaic decoration in the hood.
Besides the madrasa, Sultan al-Salih’s other building activity
was concentrated on the new citadel at Rawdah Island. Between
1239 and 1244 he took the significant step of moving out of the
Citadel and creating a new palace and centre of government, as well
as a barracks for 1,000 Mamluk troops. These Mamluks became
known as al-Bahriya (‘of the river’), or Bahri Mamluks, to distinguish
them from the Burji Mamluks (‘of the tower’) who were garrisoned
in the Citadel. According to al-Maqrizi, al-Salih built sixty towers on
the new citadel wall, and within its enclosure trees were planted and
recycled Pharaonic granite and marble columns were used to build
houses, palaces and a mosque. 15 One contemporary description,
quoted by al-Maqrizi, is provided by Ibn Sa’id:
Al-Malik al-Salih was one of the greatest builders
among the sultans. I saw on this island a throne
room – I have never seen its like before, and I cannot
assess its cost. In it are gilt surfaces and marble –
ebony, camphor and veined – which boggle the
mind, paralyse the eyesight, and even confer benefit
to the blind. The enceinte encompassed a large tract
of land. Part of this area was enclosed by a fence,
which preserved the sultan’s wild game, and beyond
this were meadows leading towards the Nile. 16
There is some speculation as to why al-Salih chose to establish