The Qalawun complex is a massive complex that includes a madrasa, a hospital and a mausoleum built by the Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad Ibn Qalawun, a small man of ruthless courage and great intellect whose reign marked a high point in Mameluke  culture: some thirty surviving mosques were built during his time.

The exterior structure of the Qalawun complex has many unique firsts in Mameluke architecture. The whole complex is said to be the earliest example of an “Urban aesthetic” in Mameluke architecture.

Worth noting about the interior of the various buildings of the total complex is the evidence that it’s architecture was influenced by Norman Sicilian qualities.