Mawlawiyya Takiyya

A multi-layered complex comprising a 1321 Mamluk madrasa, a 1595 Ottoman takiyya, and an 1810 Sama' Khana (Dervishes' Theatre). Step into Cairo's unique Mawlawi heritage complex, where a medieval Mamluk school, Ottoman Sufi lodge and circular wooden dervish theatre preserve centuries of religious, architectural and performance history. The site is located in Al-Suyufiyya Historic Street / Darb al-Ahmar, Cairo, and is treated here as a Historic Complex. Catalogued highlights include Mamluk madrasa remains, historic fountain, Ottoman residential rooms, dome supported on twelve wooden columns, Sama' Khana circular wooden stage, upper audience galleries. Before travelling, confirm current opening times, admission rules and any same-day access restrictions. Older operating details are retained as historical reference only and are not treated as current unless separately verified. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities currently lists the Mawlawiyya Takiyya as open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Current published admission is 100 EGP for foreign adults and 50 EGP for foreign students, while Egyptian admission is 10 EGP for adults and 5 EGP for students. The official monument record identifies the complex as a layered site combining the fourteenth-century madrasa of Amir Sunqur al-Sa'di, the later Ottoman Mawlawi lodge, residential rooms for dervishes and the distinctive circular Sama' Khana stage built for ritual performances. This combination makes the site especially valuable for understanding how Mamluk educational architecture and Ottoman Sufi institutions were adapted within the same urban complex.