The khanka or monastic mosque, was first established in Cairo by Saladin, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, in 1171. Prior to this time, residents of the khanka, better known as Sufis - the ascetics of Islam were a group of mobile mystics who travelled widely seeking knowledge and truth of divinity and creation. It was during the Mamluk period (1250-1517) however, that the khanka gained popularity. It was normally constructed as part of a larger complex which housed other pious functions. It became commonplace among Mamluk sultans to attach their mausoleums to these khanka complexes, thus giving the khanka ultimate social and religious significance.Due to this significance, khankas, were among the first building types to face destruction upon the downfall of Mamluk rule. Unfortunatley, the deterioration of the khanka, institution has continued to this present day. In fact the khanka, institution and its architecture are slowly disappearing.In an effort to help preserve the vanishing architecture of the khanka institution, the khanka, of Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay, one of great architectural significance, was selected for the topic of this thesis. A reconstruction and restoration proposal is presented following complete historical, social and arcitectural research and documentaion. This proposal is based on a research methodology established for application to this and other historical buildings which may be approached for documentation and analysis.The reconstruction of the missing portions of the complex is important for the preservation of an almost extinct building type. The Khanka of Al-Ashraf Barsbay presents an interesting challenge in several repects: understanding the elements of Mamluk architecture as a distinct building style, identifying elements of islamic architecture, and finally applying this knowledge of architecture to the process of reconstruction within the framework of national and international preservation standards. / Department of Architecture
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/184548 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Abdel-Hamid, Hoda |
| Contributors | Urbas, Andrea |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vi, 182 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | f-ua--- |
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