The Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi’i, locally known as the Dome of Imam Shafi' (قبة الإمام الشافعي) or the Shrine of Imam Shafi’i (مشهد إمام شافي) is a funerary monument dedicated to Imam Al-Shafi’i, one of the four Sunni Imams who founded the Shafi’i Sunni Islamic school of jurisprudence. Located at the Imam Shafi’i Street in the City of the Dead, Cairo, the mausoleum is a hallmark of Ayyubid style architecture and historical significance.
Upon his death, Imam Shafi’i was buried by his child Ibn Abdulhakim in the place of turbah in the City of the Dead. Later, the Ayyubid sultan Salah ad-Din built a turbah and madrasa for Shafi'i in 1176, marking the first establishment on his grave. In 1178, a wooden coffin was created with decorations of Islamic geometric patterns and inscriptions of the Qur'anic verses and the life of Shafi'i in Kufic and Ayyub scripts. The decorations were created by Abid al-Najar.
In 1211, after the death of mother of the Ayyub Sultan Al-Kamil, the sultan built a mausoleum for her near the site, and simultaneously built a dome and a building which covers the entire area as well as the grave of al-Shafi'i. This had become the current structure, consisted of wooden dome, and later added muqarnas and marble decorations furnished by the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay in 1480. The building was restored during the era of the Mamluk Sultan al-Ghuri and the Ottoman wali Ali Bey al-Kabir in 1772 who added colored decorations for the inner wall, muqarnas and dome.
circa 1210 CE
Exterior
The mausoleum’s base is a 15-meter stone square that supports a wooden dome topped with lead. Construction of the dome was completed under the fourth Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt, Al-Malik al-Kamil (1218-38 CE). The dome is topped with a copper boat that is said to be filled with birdseed, an architectural feature carried over from early Fatimid dynasty. The Shafi’i dome has a vertical, rounded shape, unlike earlier Fatimid-era domes, which took on more pointed forms. Some elements of the exterior of the building is in Andalusian style, with extensive stucco decoration, carved colonnettes, as well as geometric patterns and tessellations that decorate the exterior.
circa 1210 CE
Interior
The mausoleum’s base is a 15-meter stone square that supports a wooden dome topped with lead. Construction of the dome was completed under the fourth Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt, Al-Malik al-Kamil (1218-38 CE). The dome is topped with a copper boat that is said to be filled with birdseed, an architectural feature carried over from early Fatimid dynasty. The Shafi’i dome has a vertical, rounded shape, unlike earlier Fatimid-era domes, which took on more pointed forms. Some elements of the exterior of the building is in Andalusian style, with extensive stucco decoration, carved colonnettes, as well as geometric patterns and tessellations that decorate the exterior.
Signup for our monthly newsletter / online magazine.
No spam, we promise.
The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
About -
Help -
Privacy Policy -
Contact
Madain Project: Encyclopedia of Abrahamic History & Archaeology.
Copyright MadainProject 2017 - 2024.
