Prince Taz Palace

Prince Taz Palace was commissioned in 753 AH / 1352 CE by Saif al-Din Taz, a powerful Mamluk emir who served under Sultan al-Salih Salih and later held senior offices including deputy of Aleppo. The palace stands on al-Suyufiyya Street in the al-Khalifa district and is one of the finest surviving examples of Bahri Mamluk residential architecture. Its plan is organized around a large inner courtyard overlooked by a maq’ad, or elevated reception loggia, with ceremonial halls and service spaces arranged around it. The surviving interiors preserve carved and painted wooden ceilings, geometric and vegetal ornament, heraldic emblems and inscription bands. One hall adjoining the maq’ad contains Persian-script passages from al-Busiri’s Burda. The palace is especially important because far fewer large secular Mamluk residences survive than mosques and madrasas, making it a key monument for understanding elite domestic and ceremonial life in medieval Cairo. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities currently lists Prince Taz Palace as open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Its official description identifies the palace as one of the largest surviving Bahri Mamluk residences in Cairo and emphasizes the maqad overlooking the central courtyard, the decorated wooden ceilings, the prince's heraldic cup emblem and the Persian inscription band from al-Busiri's Burda. These features make the palace particularly valuable for understanding how elite Mamluk domestic, ceremonial and artistic spaces were organized within a single residence.