The Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan is one of the largest and most impressive medieval buildings in the Islamic world. It stands below the Citadel in Islamic Cairo, its walls rising almost 36 meters like a cliff, and it is often called the finest example of Mamluk architecture in Cairo.
History
Sultan al-Nasir Hassan built it between 1356 and 1363, soon after the Black Death had killed a large part of Cairo’s population. It was both a mosque and a madrasa, a college for the four schools of Sunni law. The sultan was murdered in 1361 before it was finished, and his body was never found, so the grand tomb chamber he built for himself stayed empty.
What to see
You enter through a towering doorway with a carved stone canopy and a winding passage that leads into the open courtyard. Four great vaulted halls, called iwans, open onto it, one for each school of law. Behind the prayer iwan is the domed tomb chamber with its tall windows and hanging lamps.
Visiting
Allow about 45 minutes. Dress modestly, take off your shoes inside, and women should bring a scarf to cover their hair. The Al-Rifai Mosque stands right across the square, and you can visit both together on our Islamic Cairo Cairo day tours.
