Islamic heritage · Cairo
Baybars al-Jashankir Khanqah
The oldest surviving khanqah in Cairo, built by Baybars al-Jashankir in the early 14th century on al-Gamaliya Street.
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The story
Baybars al-Jashankir began the khanqah around 1306, while still an emir before becoming sultan, and completed it around 1309. It was built to house four hundred Sufis, and a large dome was added to it. It is the oldest khanqah still standing in Cairo and lies on al-Gamaliya Street in Islamic Cairo. After it was finished, Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun seized and killed Baybars.
Good to know
- It was built between roughly 1306 and 1310 to accommodate four hundred Sufis.
- It is the oldest khanqah that has survived in modern Cairo.