A caravanserai was a roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe, most notably the Silk Road. Often located along rural roads in the countryside, urban versions of caravanserais were also historically common in cities throughout the Islamic world, and were often called other names such as khan, wikala, or funduq.
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is located in Cairo, Egypt. It is one of the oldest mosques in Egypt as well as the whole of Africa surviving in its full original form, and is the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of land area. It is built around an open square courtyard which allows natural light to travel through. Ibn Tulun Mosque features ancient architecture styles of Egypt, its decorations being created from carved stucco and wood. This mosque is a popular tourist attraction.
A khanqah or khangah, also known as a ribat (رباط), is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood or tariqa and is a place for spiritual practice and religious education. The khanqah is typically a large structure with a central hall and smaller rooms on either side. Traditionally, the kahnqah was state-sponsored housing for Sufis. Their primary function is to provide them with a space to practice social lives of asceticism. Buildings intended for public services, such as hospitals, kitchens, and lodging, are often attached to them. Khanqahs were funded by Ayyubid sultans in Syria, Zangid sultans in Egypt, and Delhi sultans in India in return for Sufi support of their regimes.
The Yeni Valide Mosque is an 18th-century Ottoman mosque in the Üsküdar district of Istanbul, Turkey.
The Mausoleum of Ali, located in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, is a mosque which some Sufi Sunnis believe contains the tomb of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. This site is visited particularly by Naqshbandi sufis.
The Mosque of Sultan al-Mu'ayyad is a Mosque in Cairo, Egypt next to Bab Zuwayla built under the rule of sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Sayf ad-Din Shaykh from whom it takes its name, "Al-Mu'ayyad", meaning The Supporter in Arabic language. Construction began in 1415 and the mosque was completed in 1421. The complex included a Friday mosque and a madrasa for four madhhabs. It replaced a prison which originally stood next to Bab Zuwayla.
The cruciform Madrasah of the Amir Sarghatmish, built in 1356, lies to the northeast of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, in Islamic Cairo. The building's school, mosque, and mausoleum can be seen from Ibn Tulun's spiral minaret, while its entrance is on Saliba Street. This structure includes a madrasa, mosque, and mausoleum. The madrasa is also referred to as the Mosque of Amir al-Sayf Sarghatmish.
The Mosque and Khanqah of Shaykhu is an Islamic complex in Cairo built by the Grand Emir Sayf al-Din Shaykhu al-Nasiri. The mosque was built in 1349, while the khanqah was built in 1355. Shaykhu was the Grand Emir under the rule of Sultan an-Nasir Hasan.
Sultan Abu al-'Ila Mosque is one of the most famous mosques in Islamic Cairo in Egypt. The mosque now bases on 23 pure white marble columns. The platform is a masterpiece made of Indian teak. The roof is plated in gold leaf with amazing tiny trappings. Inside walls and domes are decorated with Islamic-colored inscriptions. The dome at the outside like all Mamluks' age is made of stone.
Mamluk architecture was the architectural style that developed under the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517), which ruled over Egypt, the Levant, and the Hijaz from their capital, Cairo. Despite their often tumultuous internal politics, the Mamluk sultans were prolific patrons of architecture and contributed enormously to the fabric of historic Cairo. The Mamluk period, particularly in the 14th century, oversaw the peak of Cairo's power and prosperity. Their architecture also appears in cities such as Damascus, Jerusalem, Aleppo, Tripoli, and Medina.
The Wikala and Sabil-Kuttab of Sultan Qaytbay is a complex of monuments built by the Mamluk sultan Al-Ashraf Abu Al-Nasr Qaitbay in 1477 CE in Islamic Cairo, the historic medieval district of Cairo, Egypt. The complex consists of an urban caravanserai, a water dispensary (sabil), a water trough (hod), and a school (kuttab). It is located just south of Al-Azhar Mosque.
The Wikala of Sultan Qaytbay or Wakala of Sultan Qaytbay is an urban caravanserai and rab built by Sultan al-Ashraf Abu al-Nasr Qaitbay in 1481 CE in Islamic Cairo, the historic medieval district of Cairo, Egypt.
Mosque-Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar or Mosque-Sabil-Kuttab of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar is a complex of mosque, sabil and kuttab established during the era of Muhammad Ali Pasha in Islamic Cairo, the historic medieval district of Cairo, Egypt. It is located at the beginning of Burjouan alley of the famed Muizz Street. On the other side it faces the extension of Al-Nahasin Street leading to the Bab Al-Shaareya square.
Sulayman Pasha al-Khadem Mosque, also known as Sariat al-Jabal Mosque, is a historical mosque established in 1528 by Suleiman Pasha Al-Khadem, one of the Ottoman rulers of Egypt. It is located inside the Cairo Citadel at the top of Mount Mokattam, and originally erected for the use of the janissaries stationed in the northern enclosure. It is the first mosque established in Egypt in Ottoman architectural style.
Sidi Boumediene Mosque or the Worshipper's Mosque is a historic Islamic religious complex In Tlemcen, Algeria, dedicated to the influential Sufi saint Abu Madyan. Abu Madyan was hailed from Seville and contributed greatly to the spread of tasawwuf in the Maghreb region.
Amir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar Mosque is a historic mosque in the city of Cairo. It is located inside Islamic Cairo, facing the Al-Tambakshiya Street to the north and the Habas al-Rahb Street to the southeast.
The Khanqah of Faraj ibn Barquq is a religious Islamic funerary complex built by the Mamluk Sultan Faraj ibn Barquq from 1400 to 1411 CE. It is located in Cairo, Egypt, in the Northern Cemetery which is a part of Cairo's historic necropolis districts. It is considered one of the most accomplished works of Mamluk architecture and one of the major monuments of Cairo's Northern Cemetery district.
The Sultaniyya Mausoleum is a Mamluk-era funerary complex located in the Southern Cemetery of the Qarafa, the necropolis of Cairo, Egypt. It is believed to have been built in the 1350s and dedicated to the mother of Sultan Hasan. It is notable for its unique pair of stone domes.
Al-Darb al-Ahmar is a centuries old historic neighbourhood in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Cairo, Egypt. Located south of the old walled city of Cairo, originally built by the Fatimids in the 10th century, it began to urbanize largely during the 14th century in the Mamluk period.
