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Madressa al-Ashrafiyah

Front view of Madressa Ashrafiya
Front view of Madressa Ashrafiya

The Madressa al-Ashrafiyah was a religious school founded in 1482 CE during the reign of Sultan Qaitbay. He installed many religious foundations in various holy cities of Islam.

  • The school played a major educational role in Jerusalem during the Mamluk and Ottoman period and today houses the Masjid al-Aqsa library and a religious school for girls. The building, located within the Masjid al-Aqsa compound is surprisingly well preserved and demonstrates the decorative features of the period. The entrance portal, for example has one of the best examples of Mamluk architecture; it’s commanding entrance portal is decorated with ablaq masonry, muqarnas, geometry, polychrome ceramics, and elegant calligraphic friezes which make it worthy of it’s status as the only royal foundation of the Circassian Mamluk period in Jerusalem.
Entrance to Madressa al-Ashrafiyah
Entrance to Madressa al-Ashrafiyah

References: HUMA’s travel guide to Palestine, Archnet.org

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