Latest news with #Ayyubid
Jordan Times
22-05-2025
- Science
- Jordan Times
Scholar highlights Ayyubid legacy, challenges of distinguishing it from Mamluk period
The Ayyubid castle of Ajloun, located in the northwestern part of Jordan, overlooking the Jordan Valley (Photo courtesy of ACOR) AMMAN — For Professor Bethany Walker from Bonn University, it is a true challenge to differentiate some pottery objects whether they belong to Ayyubid (1171-1260) or Mamluk (1250-1517) period. Walker wants to separate two periods that are often called Ayyubit-Mamluk and belong to Middle Islamic era. "Ayyubid period was much shorter than Mamluk period," Walker said during the lecture " Jordan in the Ayyubid Age" held at the Department of Antiquities of Jordan on Wednesday, adding that if one excavates on the Mamluk site they will not find many remains older than the Mamluk period. Mamluk's powerful visual presence in Jordan also underlines Ayyubid Sultanate contribution, Walker continued, adding that Mamluks re-used Ayyubid buildings. "Vernacular buildings didn't change much from 12th until early 20th century in Jordan," Walker said, noting that to differentiate between these two periods became a challenge. The Ayyubids laid foundation for administrative buildings, fortresses and castles, as well as way stations for pilgrims and store houses for agricultural produce. They invested in network of roads and castles, reviving the world economy. One of the achievements of the Ayyubids was the beginning of the sugar industry in Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea area, where the sugar technology was brought from the Indian Subcontinent (sugar canes). "The major achievement of the Ayyubids in Jordan was economic," Walker stressed, adding that agricultural sector flourished during their reign. Rural area was economically stimulated to produce certain types of crops during that period. "The most active of the Ayyubid rulers was AlMu'azzam (1218-1227) who ruled from Damascus," Walker said, noting that in the early decades of the 13th century Karak became a scientific and educational centre. However, there are no architectural traces of these activities as no remains of madrasas and hospitals survived to our days. Al Mu'azzam built villages and the state stimulated different types of migrations to urban and rural centres. Nasser Dawoud in 1244/1245 renovate the Karak Castle, adding that palatine halls at Karak and Shobal castles represent the Ayyubid architecture. Regarding the Ayyubid bathhouse, Walker said:" It's relatively small, with three to four rooms." The Mamluks would tear down old, decrepit buildings and reuse the material for new structures, and that is one of the reasons why it is often difficult to distinguish which building belonged to the Ayyubid and which to the Mamluk period. "In some textual documentation there is evidence of these demolitions, like in chronicles, where villages around the Shobak Castle are mentioned. Here we have accounts what still functions and what is in ruins," Walker said, adding that ruins had a commercial value as a building material.
CairoScene
13-02-2025
- General
- CairoScene
Al-Azhar Park & Beyond: The Aga Khan Foundation's Legacy in Cairo
Al-Azhar Park & Beyond: The Aga Khan Foundation's Legacy in Cairo For over half a century, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has nurtured resilient communities, empowering them to shape their own futures through sustainable, locally driven initiatives that have transformed millions of lives. On February 4th, 2025, His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV - leader and founder of AKF in 1967 - passed away, leaving behind a legacy woven into the fabric of progress and hope. Established to unite human, financial, and technical resources in the fight against poverty and marginalisation, the foundation's work in Egypt has been etched into the nation's landscape and its people's lives. Implanting Azhar Park The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) turned its attention to Egypt in 1984 with a vision, offering Cairo a park that would serve as a vital green lung for the city. Al-Azhar Park, the trust's first project, became the cornerstone of a broader initiative to revitalise the long-neglected district of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar. The chosen site, a 30-hectare expanse buried under centuries of accumulated debris, held the potential to restore balance to the historic city. Today, Al-Azhar Park welcomes 1.5 million visitors annually. This $30 million investment became a self-sustaining landmark, generating funds for its upkeep through gate fees and restaurant revenues. With Salah Salem Street on one side, Darb Al-Ahmar on the other, and Bab El-Wazir cemetery in between, the park's true impact extends beyond its financial sustainability. It has become a catalyst for urban renewal, breathing new life into Cairo's historic core, and reshaping the relationship between heritage and modernity. Restoring the Remaining Ayyubid Wall Rising from the heart of Cairo, the Ayyubid fortifications tell a story of power, resilience and transformation. Begun in 1176 by Salah al-Din, the Kurdish ruler who ended the Fatimid caliphate, these stone walls encircled the former palace-city, its suburbs and the ancient settlement of Fustat, melding them into a single, fortified entity. Yet as Cairo expanded, the city soon outgrew its fortifications. Only the eastern section remained untouched, shielded for centuries by rising mounds of debris. It was not until the creation of Al-Azhar Park that these buried walls resurfaced, stretching 1,500 metres from Bab al-Wazir to Al-Azhar Street, now forming a stark boundary between the lush greens of the park and the present-day fabric of Darb al-Ahmar. Between 2000 and 2008, conservation efforts began with pilot interventions on select sections of the Historic Wall, laying the groundwork for a broader revitalisation plan. Comprehensive strategies were implemented to weave the wall back into the city's fabric, bridging it with residential neighbourhoods and pedestrian routes leading to Al-Azhar Park. No longer a forgotten relic, the wall has been reimagined as a living part of Cairo's urban narrative, standing once more as a cultural beacon of Islamic Cairo. Other Monuments Restored in Darb Al-Ahmar A series of nine historic treasures in Darb al-Ahmar have been meticulously restored, breathing new life into the historical significance of the district. Amongst them stand the 14th-century Umm al-Sultan Shabaan Mosque, the Khayrbek Complex - made up of a 13th-century palace, mosque and Ottoman house - alongside Tarabay al-Sherif, Amir Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque, and the Darb Shoughlan School, now a vibrant hub for performing arts under the Aga Khan Music Programme. The ongoing restoration of the 14th-century al-Maridani Mosque continues this legacy. Each project unfolded through careful documentation, structural stabilisation and the delicate art of conservation, often accompanied by archaeological excavations and landscape rejuvenation. Modern lighting, sound systems and new ablution areas were seamlessly integrated, while local craftsmen and conservators were nurtured through hands-on training. Beyond the restorations themselves, these projects have returned sacred spaces to their communities, ensuring their stories endure in the Egyptian capital. Photography Credit: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
