.jpg?w=1)
145. Kaire. 1843. G. Beybars. Min[aret]
Details
JOSEPH-PHILIBERT GIRAULT DE PRANGEY (1804-1892)
145. Kaire. 1843. G. Beybars. Min[aret]
daguerreotype
titled, dated and numbered in ink on a label (affixed to verso)
9 7/16 x 3¾in. (24 x 9.5cm.)
145. Kaire. 1843. G. Beybars. Min[aret]
daguerreotype
titled, dated and numbered in ink on a label (affixed to verso)
9 7/16 x 3¾in. (24 x 9.5cm.)
Further details
This khanqah minaret was commissioned by Sultan Al-Muzaffar Baybars in 1309, along with the portal and mausoleum, after he had usurped the sultanate from al-Nasir Muhammad. A khanqah is a building designed specifically for gatherings of the Sufi brotherhood.
This is the oldest surviving khanqah in Cairo, and the second to be built in the heart of the Fatimid city. The architect created a plan that accommodates a mausoleum with a vestibule that allows for a subtle adjustment of the Mecca-oriented interior to the street alignment. The exquisitely decorated minaret was specifically sited to be highly visible from the street, as evidenced in Girault de Prangey's image. The minaret is unique among the extant Cairene minarets, substituting a circular second story for the standard octagonal one. The crowning element consists of a ribbed helmet on a circular pavilion with a muqarnas cornice adorning the base of the helmet.
This is the oldest surviving khanqah in Cairo, and the second to be built in the heart of the Fatimid city. The architect created a plan that accommodates a mausoleum with a vestibule that allows for a subtle adjustment of the Mecca-oriented interior to the street alignment. The exquisitely decorated minaret was specifically sited to be highly visible from the street, as evidenced in Girault de Prangey's image. The minaret is unique among the extant Cairene minarets, substituting a circular second story for the standard octagonal one. The crowning element consists of a ribbed helmet on a circular pavilion with a muqarnas cornice adorning the base of the helmet.