The Art And Architecture of Islamic Cairo

of these buildings in space, the balance of solid and void and the
manipulation of geometrical shapes in terms of both surface and
mass make this one of the most satisfying architectural groupings
in Cairo.
A double flight of steps leads up to the portal of the khanqah-
madrasa, which is crowned with a trilobed muqarnas hood. This
opens into a small vestibule to the left of which is the prayer hall. It
is well lit with several windows piercing the qibla and opposite wall.
The interior is unusual, consisting of a rectangular hall divided into
three aisles by arcades running parallel to the qibla wall. They
support a painted ceiling and recycled polychrome marble adorns
the floor as well as the dado. The original mihrab has disappeared,
but a fine wooden minbar (1451) made for the mosque of al-Ghamri
has survived. The decorative scheme of the mausoleum is similar to
the prayer hall but here the original mihrab is preserved, displaying
a fine mosaic of interlocking polychrome patterns inlaid with
mother-of-pearl. The cenotaph of Barsbay is placed immediately
in front of the mihrab. A gilded frieze of calligraphy adorns both
mausoleum and mosque, and the jewel-like intensity of the stained
glass windows adds an unexpected opulence to both interiors.
The ruined buildings to the south of the khanqah-madrasa
once contained two-storeyed apartment accommodation for Sufis
and their families. The Barsbay complex also included a zawiya on
the opposite side of the road. This smaller institution provided
accommodation for Sufis, but more specifically for those of the
Rifa’i order. Behrens-Abouseif makes the point that khanqahs were
generally independent of particular Sufi orders, while zawiyas
served communities dedicated to one sheikh and the associated
tariqa. 9 The difficulties of attributing specific orders to the khanqah-
madrasas of Cairo is commented on by Michael Rogers, who
suggests that it might have been government policy to deny them
security of tenure. 10 The orders themselves were changing and the
family accommodation provided for them in the buildings next to
Barsbay’s khanqah-madrasa might be indicative of a move towards
a looser organization of the Sufis at this time, which permitted
marriage and a more secular way of life. 11
The spread of Sufi accommodation represents a significant
trend in the development of the Eastern Cemetery. It was never, to
use that European description, a ‘city of the dead’, but a thriving
community of students, Sufis, pilgrims and visitors. This is shown
clearly in the generous residential accommodation provided by the
two religious-funerary complexes of Sultan al-Ashraf Inal (1451–6)
The Architecture of the Burji Mamluks 213