The Wikala of Qawsun () or Khan of the prince (). It was established by the Bahri

Mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...

Emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...

(prince) Qawsun as-Saqi al-Nasiri, in the year 742 AH/1341 AD. It is located on Bab al-Nasr Street behind the

Al-Hakim Mosque The al-Hakim Mosque (), also known as al-Anwar (), is a historic mosque in Cairo, Egypt. It is named after al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, al-Ḥākim bi-Amr Allāh (985–1021), the 6th Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid caliph and 16th Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīlī ...

in the central

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

neighborhood. This ''wikala'' has disappeared and nothing remains of its archaeological building except its main entrance, which preserves the founding text that includes the name of Prince Qawsun and his ''

rank A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...

'' (رنك) which is the symbol of ''as-Saqi'' (cupbearer), and its symbol is the cup.وكالة قوصون (المدخل الرئيسي) , وسط القاهرة
Center for documentation of present and natural heritageMeinecke, Michael. ''Islamic Cairo: architectural conservation and urban development of the historic centre : proceedings of a seminar'', 39. London: Art and Archaeology Research Papers, 1980.Warner, Nicholas. ''The monuments of historic Cairo: a map and descriptive catalogue'', 88. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.

History

This ''wikala'' on El-Gamaleya Street, the first such structure in Cairo, was constructed before 1341 AD/741 AH by the Amir Qawsun and was used by

Nabulsi soap Nabulsi soap ( ) is an olive oil-based hard soap from the Palestinian city of Nablus. Its chief ingredients are virgin olive oil, water, and an alkaline sodium compound, such as sodium hydroxide. The finished product is coloured ivory, and ha ...

and coffee merchants during the 17th and 18th centuries, thus becoming known as the "Wikala of Soap." It was demolished in the 1960s to make way for a new school building, and only the portal of the original structure remains. This gate was moved slightly north and raised to current ground level when the remainder of the building was demolished. It is a square shape and has a fine blazon in the shape of a cup, as Qawsun was

cup-bearer A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person had to be regarded as thor ...

to Sultan al-Nasir Mahammad.

References

{{Islamic Cairo Medieval Cairo Mamluk architecture in Egypt Buildings and structures in Cairo 14th-century establishments in the Mamluk Sultanate