| Zahiriyya Library | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to Al-Zahiriyah Madrasa and Library | |
 Interactive map of Zahiriyya Library | |
| Location |  Damascus,Syria |
| Coordinates | 33°30′44.5″N36°18′18.5″E / 33.512361°N 36.305139°E /33.512361; 36.305139 |
| Founder | SultanAl-Malik al-Sa'id (son of Baybars) |
| Built | 1277-1281 |
| Built for | Sultanal-Zahir Baybars (his tomb) |
| Original use | madrasa,mausoleum |
| Current use | public library |
| Architect | Ibrahim ibn Ghana'im al-Muhandis |
| Architectural styles | Mamluk,Islamic |
TheZahiriyya Library (Arabic:مكتبة الظاهرية,romanized: Maktaba al-Ẓāhirīyya), also known as theMadrasa al-Zahiriyya (Arabic:مَدْرَسَة الظَّاهِرِيَّة,romanized: Madrasah aẓ-Ẓāhirīyah),[1] is an Islamic library,madrasa, and mausoleum inDamascus,Syria. It was established in 1277, taking its name from theMamluk sultanBaybars al-Zahir (r. 1260–1277), who is buried in this place.
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SultanAl-Zahir Baybars, also known as Rukn Uddin Baybrus (full name:al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari) was a political and military leader of major historical importance. He played an important role in the establishment of a newmamluk-based regime inCairo that would ruleEgypt andSyria for a long period known as theMamluk Sultanate (1250–1517).[2] After playing a central role in repelling theMongol advance at theBattle of Ain Jalut in 1260 (often cited as a turning point in history[3]) he rose to the position ofsultan. During his reign, he undertook a series of effective campaigns against the remainingCrusader states in theLevant, conquering a number of important cities and fortresses such asAntioch and the famousKrak des Chevaliers, which paved the way for the later final demise of the Crusader presence in the region.[4]
Baybars died unexpectedly in July 1277 in his palace (calledal-Qasr al-Ablaq) in Damascus after drinking a poisoned cup that was intended for someone else.[4][5] His death was kept a secret and he was temporarily buried in theCitadel of Damascus while arrangements could be made for his permanent burial and for a transition of power to his 18-year-old sonal-Sa'id Barakah.[5][6] Baybars had reportedly expressed a desire to be buried near the town ofDarayya, but his son judged that he should be buried in a more prestigious location near the great mosque and near the tombs of illustriousAyyubid sultans, including theMausoleum of Salah ad-Din.[5] On al-Sa'id's orders, the governor of Damascus,emir Aydamur, purchased a house opposite the'Adiliyya Madrasa, in theal-Amara neighbourhood near theGreat Umayyad Mosque.[6] The house, calledDar al-'Aqiqi, had originally belonged to the father ofSalah ad-Din (Saladin), and Salah ad-Din himself had spent part of his childhood there.[7][5] It was remodeled into a madrasa and funerary complex. When al-Sa'id himself died in 1280, he was buried in the same mausoleum as his father.[5]
Construction of the complex began in 1277 but did not finish until later. It was still unfinished when al-Sa'id died and was buried here in 1280, and the new sultanal-Mansur Qalawun was required to see to its completion.[5] This may have been accomplished in 1281, with the mausoleum's decoration probably being the last element to be executed.[8][9][7] The architect of the complex was Ibrahim ibn Ghana'im al-Muhandis,[9] who was also responsible for buildingal-Qasr al-Ablaq, the palace of Baybars in Damascus, in 1264.[10]: 200
Like many subsequentMamluk foundations, the funerary complex of Baybars served multiple functions, which were outlined in itswaqf (trust agreement for charitable foundations under Islamic law). It included twomadrasas (teachingIslamic law), aDar al-Hadith (school for teaching thesayings of the Prophet), and the sultan's mausoleum (called aturba). The complex included a monumental portal with a broad canopy of stone-carvedmuqarnas (honeycomb or stalactite-like forms) culminating in a shell-like hood, considered one of the most accomplished examples of its kind in Syria.[6] The portal and exterior of the building also demonstrates alternating layers of dark and light stone, known asablaq masonry. Today, the portal and the mausoleum are the best-preserved historical parts of the complex.[6][9]
The mausoleum is covered by a large dome and its interior is boldly decorated with marble paneling along its lower walls (dadoes) and a large frieze of glassmosaics along its upper walls. The mosaics are reminiscent of the more famous ones found in theUmayyad Mosque nearby, illustrating scenes of trees and palaces. However, their craftsmanship is of somewhat lesser quality, suggesting that this skill was in decline compared to earlier periods.[6][9][11] Themihrab (a wall niche symbolizing thedirection of prayer) also features an elaborate composition of marble mosaic paneling forming geometric and foliated patterns.[6] The muqarnas portal (the earliest example of which is theBimaristan of Nur al-Din), the marble dadoes, and (to a lesser extent) the mosaic friezes of the mausoleum were decorative elements that would recur throughout the Mamluk period after Baybars.[9]
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The madrasa had a library from the outset. Its first books were donated by the mother of al-Sa'id Barakah as part of the madrasa's endowment.[5] It was only turned into a "general library" in 1876 or 1877 by SheikhTahir al-Jazairi and Salim al-Bukhari, who collected thousands of items for the library.[12] He was helped in part by the governor of Damascus,Midhat Pasha, who used an edict from theOttoman sultan to collect books from around the region.[12] Thelibrary was nationally recognized by the Syrian state and opened to the public in 1880 or 1881.[12] It continued to consolidate collections throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century and became the National Library.[13] It played a part in theArabic literary renaissance that was ongoing in Syria in that period.[13]
In 1919 the "Arab Academy was charged with the supervision of the al-Zahiriyya Library. ... Its collection consisted at that time of the surviving manuscripts from different small libraries in Syria. ... The collection grew from 2,465 manuscripts to 22,000 volumes between 1919 and 1945."[14] In 1949 a legal deposit law decreed that two copies of every work published in Syria be deposited in the library. The law was not enforced until July 1983, when a presidential decree required the deposit of 5 copies of each work published by a Syrian author. In 1984 theAl-Assad Library became the Syrian national library, replacing al-Zahiriyah Library.
The manuscript department includes over 13,000 classicalIslamic manuscripts, the oldest being ImamAhmad ibn Hanbal'sKitab al-zuhd andKitab al-fada'il.[citation needed] Other notable manuscripts includeTa'rikh Dimashq byIbn 'Asakir (1105–1175),al-Jam bayn al-gharibayn by Abu 'Ubaydah Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al-Harawi (d. 1010), andGharib al-hadith byIbn Qutaybah al-Dinawari (d. 889).[15] As of 2011, the library's holdings included some 100,000 holdings, 13,000 manuscripts, and 50,000 periodicals.[16]
