The Art And Architecture of Islamic Cairo

elow: Plan of the Sultan Hasan mosque.
Mausoleum
Hanafi madrasa
Qibla
iwan
Shafi’i madrasa
156 The Art and Architecture of Islamic Cairo
Fountain and sahn
Now the cruciform plan has matured on a monumental scale with
four colossal iwans opening onto a deep cubic well of space. The
complex principally combines the functions of mosque, madrasa
and mausoleum, providing accommodation for four hundred
students. Teaching took place in the iwans, and in each corner of the
sahn there are madrasas dedicated to each of the four madhahib. The
mosque, madrasa and mausoleum make up the overwhelming bulk
of the building, but originally there was also a qaysariyya (bazaar) for
the sale of valuable goods. The rents of these shops supported the
institution, thus incorporating the commercial sector into the
religious domain. It expresses the inclusive nature of Islam, and
such practice has already been observed in the mosques of al-Aqmar
and Salih Talih.
The complex has a bent plan and is built on sloping ground
on the site of a former palace. The four-iwan plan, which has its
origins in Persia, is at the heart of the building, and it is from here
that its monumental grandeur is principally experienced. Unlike
the cruciform buildings observed so far, there is an imposing
symmetry to this interior, although the qibla iwan, which serves as
the prayer hall, is larger than the other three. One unusual
planning feature is the position of the mausoleum behind the qibla
iwan. Normally mausolea were situated at the side of the prayer hall
so that prayers were not directed towards the deceased, but here its
scale and location behind the qibla wall is unprecedented in
Haliki madrasa
Hanbali madrasa
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