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Masjid Gani Bak al-AshrafiCairo, Egypt
Amir Gani Bak was a mamluk of Sultan Barsbay whose rapid rise to power resulted in a number of enemies; his death at age 25 is attributed to poison. His complex does contain a tomb, but he is buried in a tomb in Barsbay's complex in the Northern Cemetery. Gani Bak's mosque has a facade with two bays and a trilobed ablaq portal with muqarnas. The minaret is located to the right of the entrance, and the tomb chamber is covered with a stone masonry dome with a carved chevron pattern. A subsidiary portal with an empty inscription is concealed by modern shops to the south of the building. The complex is cruciform in plan but is specifically described as a mosque in the inscription.
Much of the building's original decoration survives, including bronze window grilles, doors, marble pavements, and a muqarnas ceiling in the entry vestible, as well as painted wooden ceilings in the qibla and southern iwans. The ceiling in the western iwan is substantially new, and that in the northern iwan is badly damaged from a failure in the roof. The minbar is original but heavily overpainted, and the mihrab has lost its marble lining. The building was restored in 1896, and again in 1990. Since then there has been significant damage to the cut stucco windows.
Sources:
Seton-Williams, M. J., and Peter Stocks. Egypt, 320. London: A & C Black, 1988.
Warner, Nicholas. The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue, 107. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.
Williams, Caroline. Islamic monuments in Cairo : the practical guide, 109. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008.
Location
Shari' al-Maghribalin, Cairo, Egypt
Associated Names
Associated Collections
Events
1426-27/830 AH
Style Periods
1250-1517
Variant Names
Mosque of Gani Bak al-Ashrafi
Variant
Madrasat al-Amir Gani Bak
Variant
Building Usages
Keywords
Masjid Gani Bak al-Ashrafi
Cairo, Egypt
Amir Gani Bak was a mamluk of Sultan Barsbay whose rapid rise to power resulted in a number of enemies; his death at age 25 is attributed to poison. His complex does contain a tomb, but he is buried in a tomb in Barsbay's complex in the Northern Cemetery. Gani Bak's mosque has a facade with two bays and a trilobed ablaq portal with muqarnas. The minaret is located to the right of the entrance, and the tomb chamber is covered with a stone masonry dome with a carved chevron pattern. A subsidiary portal with an empty inscription is concealed by modern shops to the south of the building. The complex is cruciform in plan but is specifically described as a mosque in the inscription.
Much of the building's original decoration survives, including bronze window grilles, doors, marble pavements, and a muqarnas ceiling in the entry vestible, as well as painted wooden ceilings in the qibla and southern iwans. The ceiling in the western iwan is substantially new, and that in the northern iwan is badly damaged from a failure in the roof. The minbar is original but heavily overpainted, and the mihrab has lost its marble lining. The building was restored in 1896, and again in 1990. Since then there has been significant damage to the cut stucco windows.
Sources:
Seton-Williams, M. J., and Peter Stocks. Egypt, 320. London: A & C Black, 1988.
Warner, Nicholas. The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue, 107. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.
Williams, Caroline. Islamic monuments in Cairo : the practical guide, 109. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2008.
Location
Shari' al-Maghribalin, Cairo, Egypt
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Associated Names
Associated Collections
Events
1426-27/830 AH
Style Periods
1250-1517
Variant Names
Mosque of Gani Bak al-Ashrafi
Variant
Madrasat al-Amir Gani Bak
Variant
Building Usages
Keywords