Like the emperor's new clothes, we sometimes fail to notice what is obvious to everyone else. The events of recent months in Egypt have focused the minds of Egyptians on other matters, giving them little time to think about mosques and monuments. But, despite this, there is no doubting that Egypt is packed full of world-class museums and Islamic, Christian and Pharaonic sites of world importance. Any other country on earth would be proud to have just a few of these magnificent sites, but here they are so commonplace that they go unnoticed. Take the magnificent funerary complex of Sultan Al-Ghuri, for example. Situated on the southern side of Al-Mui'zz Street, you would be hard pressed to find the mosque at all. Surrounded by shops and stalls selling blankets and towels, with the street dug up half the time to improve the drainage system, it is enough to find a place to put down your feet carefully on the ground. Tourists would find the site easily enough. They flock here on weekday evenings to watch performances of whirling dancers and music from Upper Egypt. Indeed, from across the road the complex stands out magnificently as something unique to Egypt, with its alternate bands of coloured stone and the wooden mashrabeya giving a distinctively Oriental feel. The Scottish artist, David Roberts, had no difficulty either in finding the buildings, immortalised now in his famous engraving of 1839. In this drawing we see the space between the two halves of the complex covered in wood, providing shade from the blistering sun for the stallholders and shoppers below. This wooden covering has only recently been restored and gives an impression of what the site would originally have looked like. Incidentally, the rent from these shops is still collected by the Ministry of Waqfs (Religious endowments) for the upkeep of the mosque and its employees. Sultan Qansuh Al-Ghuri was the last but one of the Mamluke sultans to rule Egypt. He had been the governor of Tarsus, then chamberlain of Aleppo and had played a significant part in the campaign against the Ottomans in 1484, before coming to the throne in 1500 and reigning until his death in battle outside Aleppo in 1516. His body was never found, and the funeral chamber he built for himself in this part of Cairo is now occupied by his unfortunate successor, Tumanbay, the last of the Mamlukes. The funerary complex, built between 1503 and 1504, is extraordinary in that it straddles two sides of the street. The Western side includes a mosque and madrassa, whereas the eastern side consists of a khanqah (or meeting place for Sufis), and a mausoleum. These latter now form the cultural centre flocked to by tourists every week. The whole complex is so splendid and such a marvel of Mamluke architecture to be found anywhere in the world, that we must limit ourselves to the Western side of the street, with its mosque. We cannot exaggerate too much, though, the contrast between the street outside and the mosque's interior. Outside is total chaos. Inside is tranquil and calm. We enter the mosque by way of a set of steep stairs, raising it above the shops below. The columns to be seen at the corners are in Coptic and Byzantine styles, as though the craftsmen were trying to imitate pre-Islamic designs. Quite unusually, the dome and the minaret are on different sides of the street. Although impossible to see from street level, where even the mosque itself is hidden by the hustle and bustle of life around it, the minaret is huge. It can only really be seen from near Bab Zuweyla, some distance away. Unlike the traditional design of Mamluke minarets, with their alternating three storeys of square, octagonal and round sections, this minaret has four storeys and they are all rectangular. Originally, atop the minaret sat four finials, or round bulbs, but these collapsed and were replaced in the nineteenth century by five others, quite unlike anything the Mamlukes ever built. Inside the mosque, where the plan is rather like a Greek Cross, with four equal arms, there is an atmosphere of total peace. Even though the street is just metres away, we enter a place of prayer, where the affairs of this world fade into insignificance compared with thoughts of the hereafter. It is here where men have prayed for centuries, bringing their deepest thoughts and concerns before their Creator. It would be a pity, in visiting the mosque, to regard it simply as an architectural delight. Surely, during our visit we might find the time in our busy lives for just a moment of reflection. Whilst the interior is not excessively large, there is a sunken courtyard, with four iwans (or covered open spaces). Two of these have Moorish arches and the other two have raised arches in a different shape. Originally, in these iwans, the teachers of the madrassa would meet their students. During congregational prayers they would be used by the worshippers for the prayer itself. The decoration is typically Mamluke, with black and white marble on floor and walls and with gilt and painted wooden panelling. Looking up we see the golden stalactites around the covered courtyard. The simple stained glass windows designed in flowers and geometrical shapes allow in just enough light to give an atmosphere of peace. Muslims read in the Holy Qur'an in Surat Fatir: Those who rehearse the Book of Allah, establish regular Prayer, and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a commerce that will never fail. 35:29 Despite the bustle of the street below and the shoppers' desire to buy the very best blankets and towels that their money can buy, we are reminded to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. This is the commerce that will benefit us most. And in visiting the mosque of Sultan Al-Ghuri's funerary complex, we might also put into context our thoughts about what is happening in Egypt today. Allah is in control and His Will is never to be thwarted. The author of eight books about Islam, British Muslim writer, IdrisTawfiq, divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com
