Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi'i

Located at the Imam Shafi'i Street in the City of the Dead, Cairo, the mausoleum is a hallmark of Ayyubid style architecture and historical significance.

In 1178, a wooden coffin was created with decorations of Islamic geometric patterns and inscriptions of the Qur'anic verses and the life of Shafi'i in Kufic and Ayyub scripts.

The building was restored during the era of the Mamluk Sultan al-Ghuri and the Ottoman wali Ali Bey al-Kabir in 1772 who added colored decorations for the inner wall, muqarnas and dome.

[3] He spent time among the Hazeel tribe outside of Mecca to learn Arabic language and poetry, where he also gained skill in archery and horse riding.

[6] Another motivation behind the construction of the madrasa near the grave of a Sunni jurist wasn’t only towards the revival of Sunnism but also a reflection of an intra-Sunni conflict between Shafi’i Asharites and the Hanbalis at the time.

[8] Some scholars argue that this commemorative and pious monument was built with the purpose of increasing the Sultan al-Kamil’s dynastic prestige as a place of entombment for himself and his family.

[9] Much of the present structure still dates from the time of al-Kamil, but the wood dome and several decorative elements such as the muqarnas were the works of sultan Qaytbay.

[11] Architectural deterioration like cracks and damaged fixtures were also addressed during this time with major work on the building’s exterior and interior stucco and masonry.

The cenotaph is decorated with inscriptions in both Kufic and Naskhi script[6] containing Qur’anic verses, accounts of al-Shafi'i's life, and the woodworker’s name.

"[15] Renovations in the mausoleum were done in the late fifteenth century under Sultan Qaytbay, which included a painted interior dome and the addition of colored marble on the lower wall panels.