Title: QALA’UN MAUSOLEUM: A NEW STUDY IN THE LIGHT
OF NON-PUBLISHED INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENT FROM 1167 A.H/1754 C.E.
Author(s): M. Abd al-Sattār UTHMĀN
Journal: SHEDET(Annual Peer-Reviewed Journal Issued
By The Faculty Of Archaeology, Fayoum University)
Issue: 3 Date: 2016
Pages: 171-222
Cite as: M. Abd al-Sattār UTHMĀN. (2016). Qala’un
mausoleum: a new study in the light of non-published investigative document from
1167 A.H/1754 C.E.SHEDET(Annual Peer-Reviewed Journal Issued By The Faculty Of
Archaeology, Fayoum University), 3 (2016) pp. 171-222. https://doi.org/10.36816/shedet.003.09
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QALA’UN MAUSOLEUM: A NEW STUDY IN THE LIGHT OF
NON-PUBLISHED INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENT FROM 1167 A.H/1754 C.E.
M. Abd al-Sattār UTHMĀN
This paper deals with an investigative document (WathiqatKashf). The author
found this document in the archive of Bab Al-Aali Court as The document is very
important for studying the mausoleum of Qala’un through Ottoman period where the
original dome of Qala’un mausoleum was described.. This description presents new
information about materials and method of the construction, which have been used
in building of this dome. According to this document, the original dome was
built of wood covered with plates of lead. Depending on the text of this
document as well as other resources, the author started to follow up the history
of Qala’un dome through the Ottoman period. This study revealed new several
facts and corrected some information of previous studies related to the
architectural history of the dome through the Ottoman period. This study also
deals with the process of rebuilding of the wooden dome and repairing the
original wooden screen Mashrabiya (Maqsura) and the coffin (Tarkeba). In
addition, the study followed the basics, which had been adopted to carry out
these artworks. The author interprets also the role of the court to follow the
steps of performance of these works. The author is very interested to show the
role of the technical treatments done by architects and craftsmen in rebuilding
the wooden dome and repairing the coffin and Maqsura. The document contained
many various architectural terms. The study deals briefly with those terms and
their meaning through Mamluk and Ottoman period. The notary of this document
used some terms that differ from those have been used through the Mamluk period,
especially the terms related to the functions of Qala’un complex. The author
interprets the reasons of these changes. Results of this study show the fault of
project of rebuilding the dome of Qala’un mausoleum, which had been carried in
1903 and show the importance of the investigative documents in preparing of the
conservation projects of Islamic monuments.