Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad, Islamic educational complex in Islamic Cairo, Egypt
The Madrassa of Al-Nasir Muhammad is an Islamic educational and prayer complex featuring a striking facade of Gothic marble with pointed arches and slender columns. The building contains classrooms, residential quarters, and a prayer space, all arranged around a central courtyard.
The madrassa was commissioned between 1294 and 1303 and represents a peak of Mamluk architecture during that era. The use of marble and stonework salvaged from Crusader churches was part of the major building boom driven by the Mamluk elite.
The madrassa served as a center for four Sunni schools of Islamic law and attracted students from across the Muslim world. Today, visitors can still see the rooms where lessons took place and where scholars gathered to study.
The madrassa sits on Al-Muizz Street in the Bayn al-Qasrayn district next to Sultan Qalawun's mausoleum. The entrance is easily reached on foot, and the interior courtyard provides relief from the busy street outside.
The minaret still displays some original stucco work that shows the hand of craftspeople from North Africa or Spain who contributed to its decoration. These details are rarely seen on other buildings in Cairo and make it a key example of a particular craft tradition.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
