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The Architectural Features of the Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi‘i
The Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi‘i was built in 1211 by Sultan al-Kamil and included a madrasa and a cenotaph. The madrasa was built adjacent to the tomb and has since been destroyed. In its time, it was used as a place for religious teaching of the Sunni doctrine, as opposed to the prior Shi‘a of the Fatimids. The cenotaph was commissioned prior to the current mausoleum’s construction, in 1175 by the patron Salah al-Din. A second cenotaph was added later for Sultan al-Kamil’s mother.

The Ayyubid mausoleum, albeit in some ways similar to prior Fatimid architecture, is most famous for its very large freestanding wooden dome that remains one of the largest of its kind in Egypt. The dome is distinguishable from the earlier Fatimid style due to its curvature immediately after the zone of transition. The remarkable overall size of the mausoleum highlights the new Ayyubid style of architecture, as the Ayyubid buildings were larger in size than the prior Fatimid architecture. This size also showcases the desire to increase baraka (blessing) by attracting more pilgrims to show their respect and offer blessings to the deceased Imam and his mother. Much of the exterior has preserved its original appearance. The mausoleum is made of lower stone and upper brick sections, made to appear as two levels on the exterior due to a secondary receding story with cut-off corners hiding the primary rectangular base. However, there is no division of levels inside.

The Mausoleum has a square plan with irregular entrances, three mihrabs on the south side, and the main cenotaph near the middle. Another significant aspect is the excessive thickness of the walls (2.75 m thick, with the dome’s diameter of 15m), in which is more than necessary to support the large wooden dome. The dome’s zone of transition includes restorations, with large pointed arch windows to either side of the muqarnas squinches. These restorations have been attributed to Qaytbay as well, evident by the multi-tiered squinches style common for him in the late fifteenth century. The three prayer niches are inspired from prior Fatimid architecture, being specifically reminiscent of the mausoleums of Ikhwat Yusuf, Sayyida Ruqayya, and Yahya al-Shabih .The dome includes a copper boat on the top, said to originally hold grain as food for birds. A fourth mihrab was later added by the Sultan Qaytbay to correct the qibla orientation. The mausoleum features octagonal coffers in the ceiling of the original entrance opposite the main cenotaph, the first appearance of a feature soon to become common on Cairo architecture. Original wooden beams, still present today, also supported large lamps in the interior .This mausoleum could be considered an enlarged Fatimid style building that was constructed in the early years of the Ayyubid dynasty, including several new features (the large size of the building and dome and octagonal coffers) that would become increasingly popular in future Ayyubid and later Cairene architecture.