Who was Sultan Hasan?
Sultan Hasan, son of al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, ruled at a time marked by conflict between the amirs, by plague and by economic change. Despite the political turmoil, in 757 AH he began an exceptional building project at the foot of the Citadel, and work continued until 764 AH.
The building combined a mosque with a madrasa for the four schools of law, with halls and cells for students and a huge domed mausoleum. Its size and the height of its façades made it one of the most commanding buildings in Cairo's skyline.
How did they shape Cairo?
Choosing a site opposite the Citadel made the building part of the very stage of power. Its effect was not only visual: during conflicts it was sometimes used as a military position because it looks directly over the Citadel.
Today the Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hasan remains one of the best places to understand how Mamluk architecture used scale, space and decoration to project political and religious authority at the same time.
Monuments linked to Sultan Hasan
Where to see their legacy today
Start at Salah al-Din Square and look at Sultan Hasan's façade from outside before going in, then compare it with the neighbouring al-Rifa'i Mosque and the Citadel opposite to read three eras in a single view.