Qalawun Complex

The Qalawun Complex was founded by Sultan al-Mansur Sayf al-Din Qalawun in 1283–1284 CE at Bayn al-Qasrayn on Al-Muizz Street. It is one of the great architectural ensembles of Bahri Mamluk Cairo because it combines several institutions in a single foundation: a madrasa, a monumental mausoleum and a bimaristan, or hospital. The complex’s stone and marble decoration, carved entrances, geometric and floral ornament and richly treated interior surfaces express the power and prestige of Qalawun’s rule. The mausoleum became one of the most admired funerary interiors in Cairo, while the hospital represented a major charitable and medical institution. The Ministry notes that the bimaristan treated patients with a range of illnesses, including neurological and psychological conditions, and that part of the medical legacy continued through later ophthalmology and dentistry use.