Al-Tashtamuriyya

Jerusalem

Al-Tashtamuriyya is located on the south side of Tariq Bab al-Silsila, to the east of the Haram. It includes the domed tomb of Tashtamur al-'Al'ai (d. 1384), the great dawadar of Mamluk Sultan Shaban II (1370-1377), and a madrasa with a foundation inscription from 1382.

The portal on Tariq Bab al-Silsila Street leads into an entrance vestibule flanked by the tomb chamber to its west. There are three shops to the east of the vestibule which are accessed only from the street. The vestibule opens into the north iwan of the four-iwan madrasa court. The slightly sunken court measures about six meters per side and is topped by a folded cross vault at about six meters. The south iwan, which is about five meters square, is the deepest of the four iwans and has traces of a mihrab at the center of its south wall. Three arched windows above the mihrab emphasize the direction of qibla.

The northeast and southeast corners of the madrasa court have shallow chambers accessed from the iwans and that leads into a series of small chambers to the east of the court. A staircase at the northwest corner leads up to the third story roof terrace, which is enveloped by vaulted rooms and contains the tomb dome. Second and third level rooms on the east side of the court and above Tariq Bab al-Silsila are accessed from a separate staircase inside the entry vestibule.

The square tomb chamber of Amir Tashtamur is among the largest tombs in Jerusalem and measures about six meters per side on the interior. Its interior walls are carved with arched recesses and topped by a dome resting on a twelve-sided drum at ten meters. A mihrab of large ashlar blocks is located at the center of the south wall. The interior is lit through two prayer windows facing the street and arched windows around the dome's drum.

The decorative effort of the funerary madrasa is concentrated on the street elevation, which is dominated by the large portal and the two windows of the tomb chamber. The portal recess is paneled with black and white (ablaq) stones and topped by a muqarnas hood inside trefoil and pointed arches. Ablaq masonry is also used to frame the twin iron-grilled windows to the right of the portal. The foundation inscription above their lintels is set inside a muqarnas frame. The elevation is largely shaded by the halls built over the street, carried on three pointed vaults.

Sources:

Burgoyne, Michael. Mamluk Jerusalem, 460-475. London: The British School of Archeology in Jerusalem Press, 1987.

Meinecke, Michael. Die Mamlukische Architektur in Ägypten und Syrien (648/1250 bis 923/1517), I/80, II/264 . Glückstadt: Verlag J. J. Augustin, 1992.

Najm, Yusuf. Kunuz al-Quds, 235-257. Milano: SAGDOS, 1983.