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Dar al-MahfuzatCairo, Egypt
The Archives building is located at the entrance to the Citadel, on the side of the old Mamluk ceremonial drum-station (tablakhana). It was built during the reign of Muhammad 'Ali in an attempt to centralize Egypt's expanding bureaucracy, and today is known as the Registry and Property Records Archive of the Egyptian Finance Ministry. There is also a library inside.
A central courtyard is surrounded by three sections (for Arabic records, Turkish records, and Arabic petitions) and is approached by a fortified gateway. In 1935/1353 AH, the building was expanded on the western side, where the present entrance is now located, and more recently on the eastern side. The retaining wall of the forecourt to the main building has a portion of an earlier Ottoman stone facade embedded in its masonry, decorated with carved strapwork.
Sources:
Mestyan, Adam. “Dar al-Mahfuzat al-‘Umumiyya (Cairo),” HAZINE, March 3, 2014, accessed August 5, 2014, http://hazine.info/2014/03/03/daralmahfuzat/.
Warner, Nicholas. The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue, 170-171. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.
Location
Cairo, Egypt
Associated Names
Events
1828/1244 AH
Style Periods
1299-1922
Variant Names
Dar al-Mahfuzat al-ʿUmumiyya
Variant
Daftarkhana
Alternate
Building Usages
educational
Dar al-Mahfuzat
Cairo, Egypt
The Archives building is located at the entrance to the Citadel, on the side of the old Mamluk ceremonial drum-station (tablakhana). It was built during the reign of Muhammad 'Ali in an attempt to centralize Egypt's expanding bureaucracy, and today is known as the Registry and Property Records Archive of the Egyptian Finance Ministry. There is also a library inside.
A central courtyard is surrounded by three sections (for Arabic records, Turkish records, and Arabic petitions) and is approached by a fortified gateway. In 1935/1353 AH, the building was expanded on the western side, where the present entrance is now located, and more recently on the eastern side. The retaining wall of the forecourt to the main building has a portion of an earlier Ottoman stone facade embedded in its masonry, decorated with carved strapwork.
Sources:
Mestyan, Adam. “Dar al-Mahfuzat al-‘Umumiyya (Cairo),” HAZINE, March 3, 2014, accessed August 5, 2014, http://hazine.info/2014/03/03/daralmahfuzat/.
Warner, Nicholas. The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue, 170-171. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.
Location
Cairo, Egypt
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1828/1244 AH
Style Periods
1299-1922
Variant Names
Dar al-Mahfuzat al-ʿUmumiyya
Variant
Daftarkhana
Alternate
Building Usages
educational