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| Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda | |
|---|---|
'سبيل وكتاب عبدالرحمن كتخدا' | |
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 Interactive map of the Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda area | |
| General information | |
| Type | sabil fountain kuttab elementary school residential wing |
| Location | Al-Muizz Lideenillah Street, Cairo, Egypt |
| Completed | 1744 AD |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda |
Sabil-Kuttab of Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda (Arabic:سبيل وكتاب عبدالرحمن كتخدا) is a historic monument in thehistoric district ofCairo,Egypt. It comprises a public fountain orsabil, an elementaryQuran school orkuttab, and an adjacent residential wing.[citation needed] A prime example of Egyptian architecture of its time, it was commissioned in 1744 by Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, a local official who was a prominent patron of architecture.[1]
Sabil-Kuttab of Katkhuda is an important monument in Cairo, located onAl-Muizz Street. Built in 1744 CE, it is named for its patron, aMamlukamir (prince) and leader of the EgyptianJanissaries, who died in 1776. He did much work in Cairo including developments toAl-Azhar University andmosque. He also rebuilt the dome of theQala'un Mosque after an earthquake in Egypt.
Sabils andkuttabs were almost everywhere in old Islamic Cairo duringMamluk andOttoman times.Sabils are facilities providing free, fresh water for thirsty people who are passing by.Kuttabs are primitive kinds ofelementary schools that teach children to read and write.
The Sabil-Kuttab was built using theMamluk Egyptian style which continued to overwhelm all the styles of such buildings even after theOttoman conquest in 1517. The architecture of this time was so delicate that even simple facilities likesabils were designed to be pieces of art.
The Sabil-Kuttab was built to achieve the maximum available visibility in Al-Muizz Street. This was achieved through building it with three free-standing sides.
The building consists of two main parts. The southern part is two stories high and contains thesabil and thekuttab from which it derives its name. The northern part is not registered and is being used now as livingapartments.Sabil is an Arabic word for the place or the building which offers free fresh drinking water to passers-by or whoever asks for it. Akuttab is a place which provides elementary education for children. It was very common in old Islamic Egypt.Kuttabs are still available as an activity of some mosques to teach the children the Quran.
The building is open on three sides and consists of grey and white stones inlaid with marblereliefs. There are also,tiles with embeddedpillars at its corners.
The entrance of the Sabil has artistic writings which are verses from the Quran about "AhlAl-Kahf". This is commonly seen in Katkhuda's buildings.
Thekuttab is located on the second floor and is composed of fivemarbled columns holding the painted roof. The windows are wooden and have beautiful artistic design. This type of window is called "mashrabeyya", which is characteristic of almost all buildings of Islamic Cairo. The door and the cupboards are wooden and arecarved and painted.
The structure sits on a triangular site formed by the splitting of Al-Muizz Street into two branches. It serves as a visual focus for the termination of this major spine, especially to those approaching it from the monuments of the Qalawunids in the Bayn al-Qasrayn area.
The three sides of the building (northern, southern and western) aresymmetrical, accurately identical, and all equal in length. Each contains all the interface to hold half the circular based on two columns of marble. In the middle of the half-circular structure is a big opening that contains the cups for people to drink. The opening is covered by a uniquely designed coppermesh with holes allowing the passage of the cups in between the holes.
The entrance of the Sabil leads to a small corridor with three doors. The first door, on the right leads to the water storing tank; the second door, on the left leads to a room with openings from which the people can drink (thesabil); the third door, opposite to the entrance, leads to the stairs of thekuttab. The horizontal dimensions of thesabil room are 4.0 x 3.5 meters.
Thekuttab room is present in the second floor and it has the same dimensions as thesabil room with three windows each calledmashrabeyya.
List of Historic Monuments in Cairo
30°3′2.63″N31°15′41.69″E / 30.0507306°N 31.2615806°E /30.0507306; 31.2615806
