Inspired by Ibn Battuta observations from Cairo in the 14th century, in this episode we walk through Cairo at the time of the Mamluks (13th-16th CE) and reach across the ages to touch upon dazzling facets of the city, as well as the sultanate - with a guest whose heart is always in Cairo.

Doris Behrens-Abouseif is Professor Emerita at SOAS, University of London. Her many publications encompass a wide range of subjects within socio-cultural and art historical contexts, with a focus on Egypt and Syria covering architecture, urbanism, material culture and the decorative arts. She has written a widely-admired book on the golden era of the city, Cairo of the Mamluks: a history of the architecture and its culture.

What we cover in this episode

• The Mamluks' origin, sultanate, historic context
• Territories ruled under the Mamluks sultanate
• An Impression on the prosperity held within the mega-city of Cairo during Mamluks era 

Conversation key insights

• ‘Walking through the medieval Cairo should have been an overwhelming experience for any traveller, in terms of the size, the density of population, the wealth of its monuments, the luxury of goods, richness of markets and its cosmopolitan character.’ 
• ‘Mamluks’ was the period which created the medieval Cairo: there is something fascinating about this old Cairo which has held great appeal for intellectuals like Najib Mahfuz and Hussain Fawzi.’
• ‘Mamluks were neither a dynasty nor slaves. They were not a dynasty because their succession system, despite the exceptions, was mainly non-hereditary; on the contrary, the system mainly worked based on a system of appointment and recruitment.’ 
•  ‘In conjunction with their religious patronage, Mamluks were trusted because they fulfilled the challenge of military expectations by standing up against and repelling the Mongols and Crusaders.’
• ‘Egypt, Greater Syria - including Lebanon, Palestine, and a big part of southeast Turkey - were all part of the Mamluks’ territories; they had also the privilege of being the guardians of the holy cities in Hijaz: Mecca and Medina.’ 

Terms

El-Qahira: Cairo

A passage from the book 

I arrived at length at the city of Misr [Cairo], mother of cities and seat of Pharaoh the tyrant, mistress of broad provinces and fruitful lands, boundless in multitude of buildings, peerless in beauty and splendour, the meeting place of comer and goer, the stopping-place of feeble and strong. Therein is what you will have of learned and simple, grave and gay, prudent and foolish, base and noble, of high estate and low estate, unknown and famous; she surges as the waves of the sea with her throngs of folk and can scarce contain them for all the capacity of her situation and sustaining power. Her youth | is ever new in spite of the length of days, and the star of her horoscope does not move from the mansion of fortune; her conquering capital has subdued the nations, and her kings have grasped the forelocks of both Arab and non-Arab. She has as her peculiar possession the majestic Nile...; her territory is a month's journey for a hastening traveller, of generous soil, and extending a friendly welcome to strangers [The Travels of Ibn Battuta, translated by Hamilton Gibbs, Hakluyt Society]

Recommended reading

• Cairo of the Mamluks: a history of the architecture and its culture, Doris Behrens-Abouseif, I.B.Tauris: London, 2007. 

•  سندباد مصری، حسين فوزي، دار المعارف، 1969

We acknowledge the Aboriginal peoples as the enduring Custodians of the land from where this podcast is produced.