An-Nasir Muhammad was the ninth Mamluk sultan of Egypt, An-Nasir Muhammad contributed to many public works such as the construction of canals, squares, madrassas and mosques.
The construction of this madrasah was started during the reign of Sultan al-Adil, who ruled from 1294 to 1296 (between the first and second reigns of An-Nasir Muhammad, but it was completed already during the second period of the reign (1299-1309) ofAn-Nasir Muhammad ... The Islamic historian al-Nuwayri wrote that Kitbuga al-Adil erected a mausoleum together with a prayer ayvan, and An-Nasir Muhammad completed the construction of the building and attached a minaret to it. In addition, Islamic historian al-Maqrizi reported that Kitbuga al-Adil oversaw the construction of the building right up to its top of the inscription strip, with An-Nasir Muhammad completing the rest. The complex was opened in 1303 when a minaret was added.
An-Nasir Muhammad was never buried in the mausoleum named after him. He feared unrest after his death due to the rivalry between his emirs and chose to be secretly buried in his father's mausoleum. However, it served as the burial place of his mother and his son.
Madrasah of An-Nasir Muhammad is located next to the mausoleum complex of his father, Sultan Qalaun, and later Sultan Barkuk, in the Bein el-Kasrain area. It was built of bricks and has knock patterns and inscriptions on the outside and inside. The inscription along the facade is made in honor of An-Nasir Muhammad, but it ends with the date of foundation - 1296. This means that after returning to the throne in 1299, An-Nasir Muhammad replaced the name of al-Adil with his own, without changing the second part of the inscription.
An-Nasir Muhammad Madrasah is one of three madrassas in Cairo, which housed all four Sunni schools of law. The madrasah includes the last knocked mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of prayer) in Egypt, unique for its raised egg-shaped stucco ledges in high relief with perforated ornamentation that adorns the visor of the mihrab. This style is very reminiscent of the stucco molding made in Iranian Tabriz during the Mongol rule of the Ilkhanids, and historians suggest that it was created by craftsmen from Mongolian Iran or Tabriz. Apart from the mihrab, in general, relatively few decorations have been preserved in the interior of the building.
The domed mausoleum is separated from the madrasah by the main entrance corridor, from which one can get into it. The main entrance corridor is permeated with windows facing the madrasah and the mausoleum, visually connecting them. Essentially, the madrasah of al-Nasir Muhammad has the same layout as the mausoleum-madrasah of the Sultan (his father), located next door. The dome of the mausoleum collapsed in 1870 and was never replaced with a new one, so only the drum of the dome has survived. A simple wooden roof now covers the space that was once covered with a dome.
The most unique element of the al-Nasir Muhammad madrasah is its Gothic marble portal, acquired from the Christian church in the city of Akra after the victory of al-Ashraf Khalil over the crusaders in 1291. When the emir came across a church with this portal as a gate, he decided to move it entirely to Cairo. He kept it with him until the end of the reign of al-Ashraf Khalil and during the entire first period of the reign of An-Nasir Muhammad, but was seized by the Sultan al-Adil and used in this madrasah.
The portal "consists of a pointed arch with a triple recess, framed on each side by three slender columns." At the top of the arch was inscribed "Allah". The medieval Islamic historian al-Maqrizi praised this portal for the skill of its creators, writing that "its gate is one of the most amazing things created by the sons of Adam, for it is made of one piece of white marble, amazing in shape and sublime in skill." Although the mosques and madrasahs of Cairo have several other prominent portals, the gates of the madrassah of al-Nasir Muhammad are of historical importance, serving as a trophy for the victory of Muslims over the crusaders. Al-Maqrizi's high praise for this portal may be due to this fact or its exotic appeal.
The highly stylized and stuccoed patterns on the lower rectangular section of the minaret of the al-Nasir Muhammad madrasah are another unique element of the complex. It is one of the few surviving stucco minarets in Cairo, decorated with medallions, keeled arched niches, and sections filled with geometric and floral designs. Medallions and keeled arched niches are similar to earlier Fatimid and Ayyubid decorations, and plant patterns are characteristic of the stucco molding of this period. Some geometric patterns are reminiscent of those used in the mihrab of the al-Azhar mosque. A strip of Kufi inscription runs through the lower decorative arcade, while a large Thuluth inscription crowns the top of the rectangular section, just below the balcony of the sculpted muqarnas, and contains the name of al-Nasir Muhammad. Some historians suggest that the quality and density of the stucco molding here indicates the participation of Maghreb or Andalusian craftsmen in its creation.
The minaret is also unusual in that it was erected directly above the entrance portal and above the main entrance corridor, which was rare in Mamluk architecture, in which minarets were usually placed on their own solid supports away from the entrance to provide greater stability.
Only the lower rectangular part of the minaret is original; the second level was most likely added by Sultan Inal, as it resembles another stone minaret, built by him in his own name. It has an octagonal barrel and green glass or ceramic elements that fill the stucco. The topmost level of the minaret probably dates from the Ottoman era
The highly stylized and stuccoed patterns on the lower rectangular section of the minaret of the al-Nasir Muhammad madrasah are another unique element of the complex. It is one of the few surviving stucco minarets in Cairo, decorated with medallions, keeled arched niches, and sections filled with geometric and floral designs. Medallions and keeled arched niches are similar to earlier Fatimid and Ayyubid decorations, and plant patterns are characteristic of the stucco molding of this period. Some geometric patterns are reminiscent of those used in the mihrab of the al-Azhar mosque. A strip of Kufi inscription runs through the lower decorative arcade, while a large Thuluth inscription crowns the top of the rectangular section, just below the balcony of the sculpted muqarnas, and contains the name of al-Nasir Muhammad. Some historians suggest that the quality and density of the stucco molding here indicates the participation of Maghreb or Andalusian craftsmen in its creation.
The minaret is also unusual in that it was erected directly above the entrance portal and above the main entrance corridor, which was rare in Mamluk architecture, in which minarets were usually placed on their own solid supports away from the entrance to provide greater stability.
Only the lower rectangular part of the minaret is original; the second level was most likely added by Sultan Inal, as it resembles another stone minaret, built by him in his own name. It has an octagonal barrel and green glass or ceramic elements that fill the stucco. The topmost level of the minaret probably dates from the Ottoman era
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