Whatever your plans are this summer, consider revising them and go straight away instead to visit the Palace of Prince Taz. Situated close to Cairo's mosque of Sultan Hassan and the Citadel, the Mamluke palace of Prince Taz was restored between 2002 and 2005 as part of the Historic Cairo Project. The Ministry of Culture excelled itself in the restoration work and Prince Taz Palace is now a monument and cultural centre which Cairo can boast of to the rest of the world. The Mamlukes ruled Egypt from 1250 – 1517. In Mamluke times there were differing ranks of princes and Taz belonged to the highest of them, being in charge of one thousand Mamluke soldiers. The Mamlukes, of course, were brought as slaves to Cairo in their youth and were trained in the arts of war and of loyalty to the Sultan until being granted their freedom. Taz was the saqi, or cup-bearer, of Sultan al-Nasir Mohamed and he married his daughter. The proximity of the palace to the Sultan's residence in the Citadel shows how close Taz was to the throne. He played a major part in the political manoeuvrings of Egypt in the fourteenth century. Prince Taz deposed the boy Sultan Hassan for a while, until he was restored to power and Taz was exiled to Aleppo in Syria, where he began to gather a great army which threatened the power of the Sultan himself. Brought back to Cairo, Prince Taz was blinded and imprisoned in Alexandria, until Sultan Hassan freed him and allowed him to spend the rest of his days in Mecca, where he died in 1361. At the height of his power, Prince Taz was a formidable figure in Mamluke Egypt. The Sultan himself attended the opening of the palace and its accompanying festivities. What we see in the palace today is a mere reflection of what the place would once have been like. It is easy to imagine its inhabitants in their magnificent silk robes, living amidst rich carpets and fabrics, beautiful metalwork and exquisite ceramics and glasswork. Near the entrance gateway is a tablakhana, an area for musicians, who would greet the Prince's approach with music and fanfares. The palace not only housed the prince's family, but also his entire household and many of the Mamlukes who served him. The stables alone could hold two hundred horses. The large kitchens had to provide meals for a vast community. There were fishponds and artificial pools, as well as storerooms for weapons, food supplies, clothes and other goods. Two water-wheels, still to be seen, supplied baths for men and women. What we see now is truly remarkable. Once again, as in many buildings of this era, what we see from the street bears no comparison to the interior. The dull exterior gives us no hint of what lies within. The qasr, or palace living quarters, are built around a large central courtyard, now the home to some great palm-trees. The whole complex of buildings is immense, with small rooms and vast halls sitting alongside each other, linked by stone corridors and stairways of honey-coloured stone. Some of the great halls have Qur'anic inscriptions around the walls, whilst others have elaborately decorated ceilings, painted lavishly in red and gold and blue. The two hammams, or bath-houses, are really beautiful. One on the ground floor and one on the floor above, they have marble floors and are filled with gentle tones of suffused light from the coloured glass lights in the ceiling. If all this isn't enough, though, the Palace of Prince Taz is now a cultural centre of note. Within the magnificent settings of the palace, in which modern sculptures now stand side by side with mediaeval stonework, there are at present spaces for three exhibitions. During the time of my first visit, they were each equally well worth visiting. The first was located in the ground floor storeroom and is still to be seen, called “The Splendour of the Mamlukes," giving an introduction to the palace and its occupants. The Mamlukes patronised both the arts and the sciences, and this exhibition displays just some of the tiles and pottery unearthed in the palace during its restoration. When I visited, the next exhibition, called “Egypt in the Nineteenth Century," had a wonderful display of lithographs of scenes from Egypt that would grace any gallery in the world. This was housed very simply and very tastefully in a small warehouse. The most beautiful exhibition of all, which was as delightful as it was breathtaking, was housed in the stables and called, “Amrik – Arab Presence in South America." Through mostly black and white photographs, the exhibition told the story of Arab immigrants to South America in the late nineteenth century and of the Arab influence in that continent which went back as far as the Spanish conquistadors, who brought Moorish influences with them from Al-Andalus. Beautifully lit and tastefully displayed, the exhibition was enhanced by beautiful and inspiring music which created a spiritual and joyful atmosphere, not to be missed. Around the maq'ad, or main loggia, off the central courtyard, we find verses 1-5 of Surat Al-Fath from the Holy Qur'an. We can read there: Verily, We have given you a manifest victory. That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past And the future, and complete His favour on you, And guide you on the Straight Path. And that Allah may help you with strong help. Holy Qur'an 48:1-3 The West has many false notions about Islam. It is interesting to note that the “manifest victory" talked about in these verses, was in fact a peace treaty, not a victory in battle. In enjoying the Palace of Prince Taz, let us hope that we can be inspired by its beauty and, in finding time for reflection, find refreshment for our hearts. British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, is a lecturer at Al-Azhar University. The author of eight books about Islam, he divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com.
