Mausoleum Complex of Ashraf Barsbay

This Islamic complex of Ashraf Barsbay located on the corner of Nahasiyeen (Nahhasin) and Muski streets; Sultan Barsbay was able to use the profits to finance much of his building work as well as foreign military campaigns. Barsbay maintained a strong navy and conquered the island of Cyprus in 1426, forcing the Lusignans, where were descendents of the Crusader Kings of Jerusalem, to pay him tribute.

His mosque, built in 1425, with its fleur-de-lis crenellation and carved-stone, pepper pot dome, is typical of later Mameluke architecture. It actually consists of the mosque/madrasa with a sabil-kuttab and an attached mausoleum.
This institute was dedicated to the Sufis who wished to study the four rites of Islamic law according to a traditional madrasa structure.

It has been suggested that there is no mihrab in the madrasa's mausoleum, because accommodating one would have left no room for a window on al-Mu'izz Street, which would have deprived the tomb of its crucial visual contact with the street. The mihrab, a highly decorative feature which underscored the religious character of the mausoleum, is replaced here by the blessings of the passersby
There are several architectural elements that are noteworthy. These include the ceiling in the northwest iwan, which was partially restored a few years ago and has a rich tapestry of gold and blue, along with the wooden, inlaid minbar

It is built very classically on a cross (cruciform) plan with four-iwans surrounding a central courtyard. Within, the main inscription around the vaulted iwans is interesting because it is a rare example of a waqf (endowment) deed carved in stone as a perpetual reminder to its overseers as to how the funds reserved for the maintenance and personnel of the complex were meant to be spent.