LONdon Art and Architecture Research & Design GROUP

This book is about the history of Cairo, its architecture and culture. The book comprises 23 chapters, which examine and trace the history of Mamluk architecture and the monuments of the Mamluks in their social, political and urban context during the period of their rule between 1250-1517. The importance of the architecture of Cairo city in the Arab-Muslim world, and most importantly, its architecture in the Mamluki period is beyond any debate, as it formed one of the greatest legacies of what is known as ‘Islamic architecture’.

The book discusses the role of the slave Mamluks Sultans, who gained power in the mid-13th century to establish themselves as rulers. Their capital, Cairo, then became the focus of their enormous patronage of art and architecture, the stage for their ceremonial rituals, and a memorial to their achievements.

The book is perhaps the first to discuss in much strength notions of ‘ceremonial architecture and culture’. Moreover, unlike many books that deal with bits and pieces of architecture of a certain place or city, this book detects chronologically and in an analytical review the evolution of architecture in Cairo, which makes it not only important from the point of view of the historians of architecture, but also to those concerned with the theory of architecture as well. Therefore, the book is an essential reference work for scholars and students of the art and architecture of the Islamic world as well as art and architecture historians of Islamic art and architecture.

The book displays the multiple facets of Mamluk patronage, and also provides a rigorous discussion of sixty monuments built in Cairo. It is a richly illustrated volume with colour photographs, plans and isometric drawings.

The book reflects its author’s, Doris Abu Saif’s, laborious research, who is a Professor of Islamic Art and Archaeology at SOAS, University of London.

The book is published by I.B.Tauris in London and New York. Page size: 289 x 237 x 36 mm, it contains 359 pages, it was published in October 2007. ISBN: 9781845115494