A COMPLETE READING FOR THE FOUNDATION INSCRIPTION OF AL-MADĀRES AL-SĀLEHIYĀ AND ITS ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME

Abstract

This paper deals for the first time with the main foundation inscription on the western façade of Al-Madāres Al-Şālehiyā (641 AH / 1243 AD); through a complete and correct reading, which modifies the preceding readings and translation. This paper will also explain the importance of this translation for archaeological studies in the field of Islamic architecture and particularly the "Al- Madāres Al-Şālehiyā". Through studying the complete reading of the foundation text of "Al- Madāres Al-Şālehiyā", it‘s clear that there was another element established with the "Madāres" (Schools); this element had been known as "Iwān El -Ser". This text holds vital information derived for the first time, from the foundation text on Islamic Architecture. This paper also intends to explain the functional and administrative dimensions of the "Madāres" (Schools) into a new context and place it among the most important architectural complexes in terms of Islamic architecture in Egypt. The Authors have applied a critique of Van Berchem's reading and corrected it through comparison to this new reading as a new perspective for the architectural context of this complex. The paper also dealt with a second foundation text on the panel above the entrance and compared it with the first reading by Van Berchem, then presented the new complete and correct reading for practical use within a field context and explained that by illustrating the reading. The study concludes with the importance of this new reading for the field of archaeological studies of Islamic architecture, concentrating on the Ayyūbid period in particular.