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Welcome to ARCHNET NEXT, the latest iteration of Archnet, an Open Access, intellectual resource focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, conservation issues, visual and material cultures, and other topics related to the built environment. With a focus on societies in which Muslims are or have been a significant cultural presence, Archnet’s mission is to provide ready access to quality, unique texts and media to facilitate teaching, scholarship, and professional work of high quality.&nbsp;&nbsp; Since it was originally launched in 2002 Archnet’s digital library has grown considerably.&nbsp;Moreover, Archnet has developed a well established a reputation as a reliable authority and useful tool for teaching and learning about the the built environment of Muslim societies, past, and present. Archnet is a partnership between the <a href="https://archnet.org/collections/1342" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT </a> (AKDC@MIT) and the <a href="https://archnet.org/authorities/1903" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Trust for Culture</a> (AKTC), with support from the <a href="https://archnet.org/collections/50" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture</a> at Harvard and MIT.&nbsp;ARCHNET NEXT was developed by <a href="https://www.performantsoftware.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Performant Software Solutions</a>. For help using Archnet, <a href="https://www.archnet.org/pages/help" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here</a>.

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 Cairo

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35 mm slide

IMG04532

place

mausoleum

madrasa

Egypt

Sir Keppel Archibald Cameron Creswell

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B & W print

ICR0788

Darih al-Amir Abu Mansour Isma'il

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ICR0789

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ICR0790

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IHC0567

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IHC0569

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IHC0570

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IHC0568

Amir Abu Mansur Isma'il Mausoleum

Variant

Mausoleum of Abu Mansur Isma'il

Darih wa-Madrasat al-Amir Abu Mansour Isma'il

Abu Mansour Isma'il Mausoleum and Madrasa

Mausoleum of as Sadat ath-Tha'alba

Amir Abu Mansur Ismail Mausoleum

Mausoleum of Amir Abu Mansur Ismail

Medieval dynasty which ruled Syria, Palestine, Iraq. Egypt and Yemen during the 12th-13th c./5th-6th c. AH<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" width="100%"><tbody><tr> <th> </th></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The founder of the dynasty was Shirukh, a Kurdish 
retainer of the Zengid prince Nur al-Din. First Shirukh secured the 
governorship of Aleppo and later was appointed vizier to the Fatimid 
ruler of Egypt. Shirukh was succeeded by his nephew Salah al-Din who 
rapidly extended his position and became ruler of Egypt, Syria and 
northern Iraq whilst he appointed his brother ruler of Yemen. Salah 
al-Din's greatest accomplishment was the defeat of the Crusaders and the
 reconquest of Jerusalem. Salah al-Din died in 1189/584 AH and his empire 
fragmented under his successors who ruled various parts of the empire 
until the mid-13thc./6th c. AH.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ayyubid architecture was dominated by the need to combat two enemies:
 the Crusaders in Palestine and the rising threat of Shi'ism and 
religious dissension. To combat the Crusaders a network of fortresses 
was built which rivalled those of the Crusaders both in size and 
technical sophistication. Amongst the best examples of Ayyubid military 
architecture are Qal'at Rabad at Ajlun in Jordan and Qal'at Nimrud at 
Banyas in Syria. In addition the fortification of citadels was improved 
and the famous gateway of the Aleppo Citadel dates from this period. 
Some of the techniques of fortification were learned from the Crusaders 
(curtain walls following the natural topography), although many were 
inherited from the Fatimids (machicolations and round towers) and some 
were developed simultaneously (concentric planning).
Shi'ism was an equally dangerous threat to the Ayyubids who built a 
large number of madrassas in both Syria and Egypt. In Egypt the Ayyubids
 had to reintroduce religious orthodoxy after two centuries of 
government-imposed Shi'ism. In Syria there was a so a growing threat of 
Shi'ism in the form of the Assassins who had benefited from the 
confusion of the Crusader conflict. The Ayyubids tried to promote Sufism
 as an orthodox alternative and began to build khanqas and Sufi shrines 
to provide a focus for these activities. Petersen, Andrew.&nbsp;Dictionary of Islamic Architecture.&nbsp;London and New York: Routledge, 1999.

Darih al-Amir Abu Mansour Isma'ilCairo, Egypt

Darih al-Amir Abu Mansour Isma'il
Cairo, Egypt