Decorations in the Complex of Sultan al-Nāsir Hasan

According to Arab literary sources (Maqrizi[1]), craftsmen came from around the world to work on this complex. The decorations show a whole range of influences, reflecting the local Syro-Egyptian tradition, the considerable influence of Seljuk Turkish art, and the impact of Western and Far Eastern elements.

The complex’s facades, topped by high projecting niches, recall the Fatimid architecture of Cairo, e.g. the Mosque of Al Salih Tala'i (1160). The cornice is reminiscent of  ancient Egyptian gorges.

The decorations on the door and frame show foreign influences. Anatolian Seljuk influences can be seen in the interlaced geometric motifs and floral rosettes; there was, in fact, a tradition of stonework in the region, which had flourished in Armenian Christian buildings[2]. A piece of stone carved in low-relief, on the right doorpost, may be a re-used piece from a Christian building or, according to some writers, the mark of a Christian sculptor: there’s a representation of a church tower and a church door. Lotus[3] and chrysanthemum floral motifs, on a frieze at the bottom of the left projection, show that Far Eastern motifs had been adopted in the Muslim world since the pax mongolica, signed in 1326 between the Ilkhan Mongol dynasty (connected with the Yuan Mongol dynasty in China) and the Mamluks.

Traces of ceramic mosaics—a technique that originated in Iran—on the west facade of the mausoleum, are connected with the arrival of Tabriz craftsmen in Cairo during the reign of al-Nāsir Muhammad, the father of Sultan Hasan. This decoration was also used in the architecture of the Seljuks of Rūm. à la fin du XIIIe siècle.

The interior decorations also show various influences. The marble coverings on the floor, the walls and the mihrābs, in the main iwan and the mausoleum, are organized in rectangular panels with arch motifs and are reminiscent of the Byzantine tradition, which had been assimilated and re-used in Islamic decorations since the Umayyad period[4]. The decorations became increasingly complicated in subsequent periods. This type of decoration[5] developed in Italy between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and inspired the coverings in Versailles in the seventeenth century.

The monumental inscriptions in thuluth script in stucco and carved wood are in large bands located in the upper sections of the prayer iwan (the decorator’s name can be seen there: ‘Abd Allāh Muhammad ‘Alī) and the mausoleum. The background of the stucco band in the sanctuary is comprised of lotus flowers, showing—as on the doorway—a Far Eastern influence transmitted through Ilkhanid art. These flowers are present in Mamluk art, on Qur’ans, enamelled and gilded glass objects[6], and metal objects[7].

The bronze doors decorated with star-shaped polygons reflect the high quality of metalworking during this period. Although the original entry door was installed in the Mosque of al-Muʾayyad in Cairo (1415–1422), several other metal elements remain in situ: an example is a window located between the qibla iwan and the mausoleum, which is inlaid with silver and gold decorations.

The minbar and dikka (tribune) in the prayer iwan are made of stone. The Ottomans, who conquered Egypt in 1517, also used this material.

Several lamps were made for the complex. They are currently held in various museums[8], and show the preference for using the technique of enamelled and gilded glass that had been used extensively in Egypt and Syria since the Ayyubid period. The technique was so successful that some examples were made for Christian patrons, and a Western production began in the sixteenth century[9].

[2] See the Akdamar Church, Armenia, tenth century.

[3] On the doorway and background of the inscriptions in the prayer hall.

[4] The Great Mosque in Damascus, Syria, 706.

[5] The Santa Maria Dei Fiore Cathedral, Florence, Italy, 1296–1436.

[6] Mosque lamp, Cairo, Egypt, around 1329–1335, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 17.190.991.

[7] Bronze basin inlaid with silver and gold, Egypt or Syria, British Museum, London, inv. 1851.1-4.1.

[8] Lamp in enamelled and gilded glass, 1356–1361, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Inventory No. 323-1900.

[9] Mosque lamp, Venice, sixteenth century, Topkapi Sarayi Müzesi, Istanbul.

[9] Lampe de mosquée, Venise, XVI^e siècle, Istanbul, Topkapi Sarayi Müzesi.