Cairo
The complex of Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun was built in just over a year, in 1284 and 1285, on the site of the old Fatimid palace. It brought together a madrasa,…
The complex of Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun was built in just over a year, in 1284 and 1285, on the site of the old Fatimid palace. It brought together a madrasa, the sultan's tomb and a great hospital, the Bimaristan, which treated patients free of charge for centuries. The tomb chamber is one of the most richly decorated rooms in Cairo, with marble panels, stucco and painted ceilings around the sultan's tomb, and its minaret and long facade dominate al-Muizz Street. Only parts of the hospital survive, and an eye hospital still stands on the site.