- Mausoleum of Saladin
-
Mausoleum of Saladin ضريح صلاح الدين الأيوبي 
The entrance to the mausoleumGeneral information Type Mausoleum Architectural style Ayyubid, Ottoman Location 
Damascus, SyriaCoordinates Coordinates: 33°30′43.6″N 36°18′21.36″E / 33.512111°N 36.3059333°E Completed 1196 Renovated 1898 The Mausoleum of Saladin holds the resting place and grave of the medieval Ayyubid Sultan Saladin. It is located next to the northwest corner of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria.[1] The mausoleum was built in 1196, three years after the death of Saladin. It was once part of the al-Aziziyah madrasah, but nothing remains of the school.[2]
Contents
History
The mausoleum was originally built by Saladin's son, Al-Adil I. Saladin's body was interred temporarily at the Citadel of Damascus until the construction of the building was completed in 1196. The madrasah was built later by Saladin's other son, Al-Aziz Uthman.[1] The mausoleum was rebuilt in 1898 under the patronage of the German Emperor Wilhelm II who financed the repairs after he visited Damascus and found the tomb in a state of disrepair.[3]
Architecture
The mausoleum itself is rather small and modest. The main square chamber displays ablaq walls and holds four arches capped by a cupola.[1] Drawing on its history, the interior shows a remarkable mix of Hohenzollern, Ayyubid and Ottoman architecture.[3] The room holds two cenotaphs. The original one, a wooden tomb, richly decorated with geometric and astral patterns, holds Saladin's body. The second one, is a marble coffin which was a gift from Emperor Wilhelm II. The mausoleum also holds another chamber which is used for Quranic recitation, and is accessible from the eastern side, in addition to five smaller rooms along the northern side of the building.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Moaz, Abd Al-Razzaq; Takieddine, Zena. "Mausoleum of Saladin (Salah al-Din)". Museum With No Frontiers. http://www.discoverislamicart.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;14;en. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
- ^ Mannheim, 2001, p.88.
- ^ a b Berney; Ring, 1996, p.207.
Bibliography
- Mannheim, Ivan (2001). Syria & Lebanon Handbook: The Travel Guide. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 9781900949903. http://books.google.com/books?id=GOJ80DlXwwMC&pg=PA88&dq=mausoleum+of+saladin&as_brr=3&ei=b5fAS7SZEJKqkASI24jHCQ&cd=5#v=onepage&q=mausoleum%20of%20saladin&f=false.
- Berney, K. A.; Ring, Trudy (1996). International dictionary of historic places: Middle East and Africa, Volume 4. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781884964039. http://books.google.com/books?id=R44VRnNCzAYC&pg=PA207&dq=mausoleum+of+saladin&ei=TJfAS4vjE4bklQShmdXSCQ&cd=1#v=onepage&q=mausoleum%20of%20saladin&f=false.
Categories:- Mausoleums in Syria
- 1190s architecture
- Ayyubid architecture
- Buildings and structures inside the walled city of Damascus
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
