Athar Lina Restores Neglected Dome of Shagar al-Durr
Mohamed Elshahed
Who decides which monuments are significant, worthy of maintenance and restoration? Who holds the power to determine the fate of a monument, and its relationship to its physical, social and cultural surroundings? How do monuments live among us (if they are indeed alive) and who holds ownership of monuments, particularly those located off the beaten path away from tourist buses and mass tourism?
Athar Lina (the monument is ours), an initiative that sprouted from the vision of Dr. May al-Ibrashy, provides answers to these questions. A conservation architect by training with extensive experience working with Cairo’s historic buildings, most notably Bab Zuweila, al-Ibrashy embarked on a mission: To stop talking and to start doing and leading by example. And last weekend an example has been presented by the Athar Lina initiative to prove that small efforts can make big changes. The inauguration of the restored Dome of Shagar al-Durr in the district of Khalifa was met with fanfare and celebration. The monument in located along Khalifa Street (Also known as Shurafa Street) stretching south of Ibn Tulun Mosque to Sayeda Nafisa Square. The minister of antiquities attended, in addition to representatives from various donors to the projects undertaken by Athar Lina. In addition to dignitaries and officials present at the inauguration, the community of Khalifa was there along with curious visitors from across the city, many of whom my have never stepped foot in the area.
The rehabilitation of the Dome of Shagar al-Durr was financed by two awards totaling $149,220 from the American Research Center in Egypt Antiquities Endowment Fund. An additional 14,000 GBP came from the Barakat Trust. Assistant Director of the American Research Center Jane Smythe said “ARCE through the Antiquities Endowment Fund are very proud to have supported Dr. May Al-Ibrashy and her team at Athar Lina to conserve and rehabilitate the Mausoleum of Shajar Al-Durr. This project, with its connection to the thriving Khalifa Community Center, represents exactly the type of investment, both in the past and future of Egyptian cultural heritage that ARCE is most proud to be associated with.” Other monuments, namely al-Sayyida Ruqayya, Ja’fari and ‘Atika shrines, were restored with a grant from the United States Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
When Shagar al-Durr took power as the Sultana of Egypt in May of 1250 the Mamluk era in the country was inaugurated. Ruling for 80 days, she is the only woman ruler in Egypt’s Islamic history. Construction on her mausoleum started in 1250 in an unusual location away from al-Muiz Street where Sultans built their mausoleums. Instead Shagar al-Durr chose a site where several shrines of female saints were already in place. Her rule was cut short as she was assassinated by the women of the palace, her body thrown off the Citadel. According to Mamluk-era historian al-Maqrizi, wild dogs consumed her body leaving nothing behind but a string of pearls that held up her pantaloons. The Mausoleum was never used and it fell into neglect ever since.
The building design is basic in form yet sophisticated in structure. The square plan is extruded into a cubic volume topped by a dome constructed in three tiers, each separated by a layer of wood. The walls of the main space are punctuated by portals on three sides while the fourth (east) wall includes a mihrab (prayer niche). The three portals are each topped by a large marble panel carved with a ribbed keel arch surrounded by floral patterns. The panel above the southern portal is mirrored on the exterior. Large Muqarnas forms transition from the cubic volume of the main space into the circular shape of the dome above. The wood separations in the dome make it resistant to earthquakes and structural disturbances. The restoration efforts carried out by Athar Lina made several discoveries, including intricate painted patterns on the interior of the dome which were covered by a thin layer of plaster. It appears the Comité (Committee for the Conservation of the Monuments of Arab Art, established in 1881) left its mark on the building. One of the portals appears to be restored as its opening was once enlarged and later returned to its original size to match the other three. It appears the building initially included a portico to the west (as evidenced by the half arch seen along the southern facade). Athar Lina restoration work also shows the many layers of brick construction used on the walls, particularly the northern facade now facing the community center used by Athar Lina as its headquarters.
One of the most significant features of the building is its mosaic mihrab with a composition depicting a tree with mother of pearl inlays, thus literally translating the name of Shagar al-Durr (tree of pearls) into pictorial form. A carved wooden frieze runs across the entire space, missing parts were replaced by plain panels during the restoration to maintain visual continuity. The conservation effort put to work 50 workers including 20 conservation specialists and lasted for one year. Much of the detail work was undertaken in the absence of records and documentation. For example, the early 20th century photographs of the building taken by K.A.C Creswell (see below) do not include architectural details nor an extensive record of the interior. This meant that conservators discovered details for the first time as they do not figure in previous records. The dome paintings, for example, were uncovered with meticulous work carried out by 12 conservators over a period of six months.
The biggest challenge in restoring the building, as with all the neighboring sites, is the high level of ground water that threatens the structural integrity of the buildings. Water is only 40-50 centimeters below the floor, which means foundations are nearly entirely submerged. The near by housing estate of Zinhom was built in the 1960s on an elevated ground (roughly 8 meter above the street level of Khalifa), which has resulted in raising the ground water levels. Athar Lina brought the issue to the attention of the Cairo Governarate and the Antiquities Ministry in order to move quickly towards a solution before further damage is incurred by the monuments.
The core idea behind the conservation effort is not only to repair neglected historic structures but also to reintegrate them into the social life of the community. This opens the question of adaptive reuse, but how can the now restored dome of Shagar al-Durr be reused? Who holds the jurisdiction over the monument and who determines the conditions of use? On the three days of the event “Spend your day in Khalifa” organized by Athar Lina, hundreds of visitors entered the building and learned about its history and the process to restore it, however, once the event ends and life returns to normal on Khalifa Street, how can the building continue to be a useful space that benefits the community? Al-Ibrashy thinks adaptive reuse is the way forward and stressed the significance of a recent turn within the Antiquities Ministry to draft rules and regulations for adaptive reuse as part of its efforts to generate income. It is yet unclear if the community would benefit from these new policies. For now the community of Khalifa has a crowning monument and an initiative that strives to assert the right of people to take ownership of the monuments and histories they live with.