This mausoleum was built in 1250 by Shajarat al-Durr, the wife of
Salih al-Din who outlived him and became famous as she ruled with the first of
the Mameluke sultans after his death. Though several madrases were built in AL-Qahira and AL-Fustat (modern Cairo) during this period, many of them amongst
houses and palaces, this is about the only one to have survived in a condition
that allows its design to be fully explored.
The construct is unique in that it was the first known
example of a tomb being attached to a madrasa. The transitional zone of the
mausoleum has the earliest example of a Cairene three-tiered brick muqarnas
squince.
This monument
represents the architectural and institutional transition between the Fatimid
monuments and the subsequent Mamluk complexes. Hence, The 13th century
minaret of the madrasa of Al Salih al-Din, also known as Al Salihiyya, has
obviously undergone recent restoration. Clean and sparkling, it shows a
patchwork of old and new stone, clearly revealing the layers of its history.
Missing areas of decoration have been left missing and yet the overall effect
is one of a building that is well cared for. This restoration shows the special
attention provided by Dr. Nairy Hampikian, an Egyptian-Armenian restoration
specialist who worked with the German Institute of Archaeology on its
preservation, which was completed in 1995.