Morphological indicators for Courtyard and Durqa'a of Mamluks Madrassa in Cairo

Abstract

The central space in Madrasa buildings in Islamic eras, which is represented by the Sahn, is the space used and known in design during that time period. It was used in different buildings of Masjids (Mosques), houses, Wekkalla and many others. However, in the Mamluks era, some of these Sahns were covered. These spaces were called a “Durqa'a”. Although the open Sahn into the sky (courtyard) had been studied extensively, the study of Durqa'a was very limited. The aim of this study is to find out the difference between the courtyard and the Durqa'a in morphological parameters, through 30 different samples of Madrassa(s) (Schools), which were chosen after a comprehensive historical study on the Madrasa(s) that were built in Cairo in the two Mamluks periods, the Bahri Mamluks and the Burji Mamluks. The statistical description was used to analyze the morphological indicators and the proportions from different aspects ratios; W/W:L/W:H/W, PAR(W:L), AR(A/H2) and RPH(P:H) in order to reveal the difference between the two types of Sahns, courtyard and Durqa'a, and whether there were obvious design parameters between the two types. The research has concluded that there was markedly clear difference in the morphological indicators between the two types of Sahns, courtyard and Durqa'a, where there are many differences in values of the indicators between them, such as the area, the area aspect ratio (AR), the volume aspect ratio (VAR), spatial enclosure degree (RPH) and the opening degree.

Keywords

• Madrassa
• Mamluk
• Sahn
• Courtyard
• Durqa'a
• Morphology