14 - Late Mamluk Religious Architecture

Qubba: Arabic for dome, used in medieval terminology for mausolea. The domes of Cairo are among the most impressive examples of vault architecture, especially for the carved stone domes over tombs, and more particularly for those of the late Mamluk period which excelled in geometric and floral patterns carving on the convex dome surface.

Qa'a-Mosque Type: Probably a development borrowed from residential architecture, this type has a qa'a plan (the most common hall type in Egypt), which normally has two iwans facing each other on the main axis, with wall recesses on the two remaining sides, while the central space is covered with a wooden cupola.

Sabil-Kuttab: A charitable structure composed of a sabil (drinking fountain) on the ground floor, and a kuttab (Qur'anic school for boys) on top, which was usually a room open on all sides.