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15 years ago I published my first article. It was about the Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi& #39;i in Cairo, built in 1211 by Sultan al-Kamil, nephew of the great Saladin. Now it is again resplendent thanks to an exquisite restoration by May al-Ibrashy & team. A story for #WorldHeritageDay
In 1180, Saladin had vanquished both the Fatimids and the Crusaders, and his first construction in Cairo - even before building the Citadel - was here, at the burial place of the Imam al-Shafi& #39;i, founder of one of the Sunni legal schools and long a beloved figure in the city.
Imam al-Shafi& #39;i& #39;s mausoleum was located in the most southerly of Cairo& #39;s ancient necropolises, often called the Cities of the Dead, though then, as now, they were in fact filled with life. https://www.theislamicmonthly.com/living-amongst-the-dead-in-cairo-egyptian-life-at-cemeteries/">https://www.theislamicmonthly.com/living-am...
The cemeteries are replete with holy sites of pious visitation (ziyāra), and they are also a home for hundreds of thousands of residents of the city, who live among the tombs and serve as their caretakers. Their story was told in Sérgio Tréfaut& #39;s 2009 film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KlnWTNOax8">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
Saladin founded a great madrasa complex and for the tomb, an exquisite teak cenotaph. It& #39;s a masterpiece of medieval carving and joinery, signed by "& #39;Ubayd the carpenter, known as Ibn Ma& #39;ali", who implored God to have mercy on him and his fellow carpenters. Photo: Bernard O& #39;Kane
And we definitely need one more shout out to the woodworker Ibn Ma& #39;ali, whose work is still absolute perfection after 843 years.
Photo: Ahmed Mansour
Photo: Ahmed Mansour
Saladin was initially reluctant to expend so much money on the madrasa, but he was *literally* browbeaten by a pious and ascetic Ash& #39;ari sheikh named Najm al-Din al-Khabushani, who is the only one credited in the foundation inscription. Al-Khabushani was kind of an intense guy...
A few years later in 1211, al-Kamil enlarged the mausoleum with an astonishing dome - still today, the largest dome in Egypt and one of the largest domes in the Islamic world, just slightly smaller than the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Photo: me!
Sailing through the sky atop the towering dome is a boat, unique in Islamic architecture. It is said that the building& #39;s waqf provided for it to be filled with seeds for birds, and that when Saladin was asked about it, he replied "beneath this dome lies a sea of knowledge".
The vast, hushed space is always filled with pious visitors. They come to pray, to partake of the Imam& #39;s baraka (blessing) and to write him notes, letters, and entreaties. It& #39;s an immense, solemn, and moving space, replete with the dignity and history of Cairo& #39;s rich Islamic past
Yet the mausoleum, like many of the medieval monuments of Cairo, was in a precarious state. Its once-exquisitely-painted tiered muqarnas domes and golden-calligraphed wooden brackets had faded to a dark, dull brown through years of exposure to the city’s notorious air pollution.
There is never enough money to preserve Cairo& #39;s extraordinary medieval architectural patrimony - there are so many buildings. I just finished an article on Mamluk architecture and well, imagine a city with nearly a thousand medieval cathedrals preserved. That& #39;s Islamic Cairo.
Egypt tends to focus on its ancient Pharaonic past because that& #39;s where the tourist dollars are, and of course Egypt has many other challenges. Preserving Cairo& #39;s astonishing wealth of medieval architecture falls pretty far down the line most days. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56508475">https://www.bbc.com/news/worl...
So imagine my absolute delight when I opened my laptop yesterday to see the interior glowing with a soft, shimmering luminescence it has not known for centuries, and to learn that May Al-Ibrashy and her team have just completed the renovation of the mausoleum.
It& #39;s an outstandingly careful, sensitive, and elegant renovation - behind all this beauty there lies ten long years of struggle: with permits, with the indifference of authorities, with fundraising, and with overseeing the completion of the work itself. https://www.facebook.com/Megawra/videos/213258537229370/">https://www.facebook.com/Megawra/v...
I am in awe of those who are working to save Cairo& #39;s medieval past. Thank you. What a gift to the people of Egypt. 
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Photo: Ahmed Mansour
Photo: Ahmed Mansour
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If you& #39;d like to read my article about the Mausoleum of the Imam al-Shafi& #39;i, it& #39;s available on @archnet: https://archnet.org/publications/6743">https://archnet.org/publicati...
And to learn more about Imam al-Shafi& #39;i and his place in the hearts of the people of Cairo, highly recommend @kecia_ali& #39;s biography! https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Imam-Shafii/Kecia-Ali/Makers-of-the-Muslim-World/9781780740041">https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Ima...
The restoration of the mausoleum is part of Athar Lina, a community-focused heritage initiative that aims to establish modalities of citizen participation in heritage conservation based on an understanding of the monument as a resource, not a burden. https://atharlina.com/projects/al-imam_al-shafii_dome_conservation_project/">https://atharlina.com/projects/...
It was funded by the @USEmbassyCairo& #39;s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and was implemented by @Megawra. https://twitter.com/USEmbassyCairo/status/1383840391426830338?s=20">https://twitter.com/USEmbassy...
May al-Ibrashy& #39;s participatory, community-focused heritage projects were highlighted in this article in @ahramonline on Monday. Her heroic, community-centered work to preserve Cairo& #39;s heritage is an inspiration. This is how it should be done. https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/32/1168/409489/Folk/Inspiring-Women/May-ElIbrashy-We-are-here-to-exchange-knowledge.aspx">https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsConte...
Yet despite designation as a @UNESCO world heritage site, Cairo& #39;s historic cemeteries are still under threat from highway construction by Egypt& #39;s @AlsisiOfficial gov& #39;t, which has bypassed the recommendations of Egyptian heritage organizations. https://www.madamasr.com/en/2021/02/08/feature/politics/qa-architect-ahmed-mansour-on-how-one-size-fits-all-urban-planning-overpasses-threaten-sayeda-aisha-neighborhoods-history-and-organic-structure/">https://www.madamasr.com/en/2021/0...
One of the new flyovers has already been constructed, and directly impacts the historic integrity of the cemetery near the Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi& #39;i. Despite international condemnation, the @AlsisiOfficial government moves forward with its plans. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/highways-raise-alarm-in-cairos-historic-city-of-the-dead/2020/07/31/ba5ec9fa-d2f4-11ea-826b-cc394d824e35_story.html">https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle...
Egyptians have voiced their disapproval: https://twitter.com/stephenniem/status/1357729786852950020">https://twitter.com/stephenni...
That pressure has paid off in the past few months, forcing the government to stop the demolition of two historic areas, al-Hattaba and Arab al-Yasar, just south of the citadel. Athar Lina already has a @FordFoundation project to develop al-Hattaba: https://atharlina.com/projects/studies-masterplan-al-hattaba-neighbourhood-historic-cairo/">https://atharlina.com/projects/...
In the end, we can all play a role in the preservation of cultural heritage. These projects show us an inspiring way forward: in community-based preservation approaches, in publicity and pressure from the public, and in the hard work of a talented team of heritage professionals.
A detailed overview of the history of the building and of the restoration process can be found here: https://khalifa.atharlina.com/monuments/al-shafie/mausoleum-of-al-imam-al-shafii">https://khalifa.atharlina.com/monuments...
