Mamluk Necropolis (Cairo)

Cairo, Egypt

The sprawling 'City of the Dead' east of Cairo, containing the funerary complexes of Mamluk sultans and amirs — a UNESCO-recognized landscape of domes and minarets that is one of the most extraordinary necropolis ensembles in the world.

Historical Context

The Mamluk sultans, many of whom rose from slavery to supreme power, were acutely conscious of their legacy. Their funerary complexes were designed to perpetuate their names through charitable institutions that would function in perpetuity.