The Funerary complex of Sultan Barquq (Arabic: مجموعة الظاهر برقوق) is an Islamic religious complex in the historic district of Cairo, Egypt. The complex was commissioned by Sultan al-Zahir Barquq, the first sultan of the Burji line of Mamluk sultans. Its construction took place between 1384 and 1386. The complex was designed as a mosque, a madrasa (college for religious education) teaching the four Islamic schools of thought, and as a khanqah (hospice for Sufis). Also attached to it is a domed mausoleum chamber which was intended to house the remains of the sultan, though Barquq was ultimately buried in another funerary complex. Along with the complex of Sultan Qalawun and the Madrasa of al-Nasir Muhammad, with which it is contiguous, the complex forms one of the greatest arrangements of Mamluk monumental architecture in Cairo, in a section of the historic al-Mu'izz street known as Bayn al-Qasrayn.
History
Al-Zahir Barquq was the first Burji Mamluk sultan of Cairo. He was a Circassian slave purchased by Yalbugha al-Umari, a mamluk emir who ruled Cairo on behalf of Sultan Sha'ban. Like many other mamluks of the time, he was trained in the Circassian military barracks located in the citadel. Under Yalbugha, Barquq gained considerable influence in the state, and he subsequently became a key player in the period of chaos and internal conflict following the violent deaths of first Yalbugha and then Sultan Sha'ban. Eventually, Barquq gained enough support to depose Sultan Hajj, a son of Sha'ban who was still a child, and take the throne for himself in 1382. Following his ascension, he mainly recruited Mamluks of Circassian origin to his regime, and it was this group which dominated the Sultanate until its eventual fall to the Ottomans. Since they lived and trained mostly in Cairo's Citadel, they were referred to as the "Burji" Mamluks, meaning Mamluks "of the tower". Despite the regime change, Barquq's construction shows architectural and artistic continuity with preceding Mamluk buildings. His complex shows important similarities in form and layout with the earlier and much larger religious complex of Sultan Hassan, though the components have been shifted around to suit the different setting. Barquq built his complex in one of Cairo's most prestigious locations, Bayn al-Qasrayn, named after the previous Fatimid royal palaces which occupied the site (and which were progressively replaced by religious buildings and mausoleums of Ayyubid and Mamluk sultans). His building is right next to the Madrasa of Al-Nasir Muhammad and the funerary complex of Sultan Qalawun (both important Mamluk sultans of the past), forming a long continuous line of imposing religious complexes along this street in the heart of Cairo.
Furthermore, being part of Bayn al-Qasrayn (along al-Mu'izz street), the mosque is embedded in the fabric of Egyptian society and the daily life of Egyptian citizens. One of its lesser known purposes is as a shelter for evicted families in the 1970s. The street the mosque is located on has inspired many works of art and literature most famously the novel "Bayn al-Qasrayn" or palace walk by Naguib Mahfouz. The film which was inspired by the novel, also includes many images of the mosque in its background.
Construction Construction of Barquq's madrasa and funerary complex began in December 1384 (Rajab 786 in the Islamic calendar) and was finished, according to the inscription on its facade, in April 1386 (Rabi' I 788). Since the site was in the busy heart of Cairo, some existing structures, including a khan or caravanserai, had to be demolished before construction. Although Mamluk monuments were often built with the help of forced labour (with either prisoners of war or by corvée), Barquq's construction was reported to have used only paid workers. Barquq appointed his emir Jarkas al-Khalili as supervisor of the works, while the architect or master builder (titled as mu'allim in Arabic) was Ahmad al-Tuluni. Ahmad al-Tuluni, from a family of carpenters and stone-cutters, was notable as one of the few master builders of this period to reach great success and recognition, with Barquq marrying two of his female relatives. He had enough means to eventually build a mausoleum for himself in Cairo's Southern Cemetery. Jarkas al-Khalili, the sultan's master of the stables, was also notable for building the original Khan al-Khalili, which gave its name to the famous bazaar still there today in Cairo.
Architecture
Like most Mamluk foundations, Barquq's religious complex served several functions at a time. The foundation deed states that the complex included a Friday mosque, a madrasa that taught the four Sunni madhhabs for 125 students, and a khanqah for sixty Sufis. The overall design and decoration resembles that of the larger and earlier Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan. The building also included a mausoleum whose dome is visible from the street. Barquq had the remains of his father moved and buried in the mausoleum of his complex when it was completed. Barquq himself, however, later wished to be buried in a new mausoleum in the Northern Cemetery of Cairo, a task completed by his son Faraj. Zakat Khanm a mansion at the same location, supervised the construction by Emir Jarkas Al Khalili, the prince of Akhor.
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