The Sarghatmish Madrasa, Cairo

This religious school established by Amir Sayf al-Din Sarghatmish al-Nasiri who was the chief of the corps of Mamluks or slaves in 1356. The complex consists of the school, a mosque and the mausoleum of Sarghatmish.

The Sarghatmish Madrasa is one of the finest examples of Mamluk architecture. The layout is cruciform or in the shape of a cross. It has an ornate 15.5 meter façade that contains the main portal leading to the interior of the complex. The rectangular windows in the upper walls of the façade and rear of the complex are placed in the living quarters of students. There are three stories of student cells, some looking over a courtyard and others with a view of the street. The dome over the mausoleum of Sarghatmish has a drum shape that reflects a Persian style rather than an Egyptian style. The Mosque inside the Madrasa has marble interior walls decorated in Mamluk style. There is a courtyard with a fountain at the center of the complex.

The Sarghatmish Madrasa was a place where students learned law according to the Hanafi School which is one of the Sunni schools of law under the Shariat. It also became a place of refuge for Sunni students from Persia at the time. The Madrasa is open to visitors from 9 to 4 daily.