Accommodating a combination of functions such as lecture halls, a dormitory, dining facilities, administrative offices, as well as a mosque and the tombs of the Shaykh, his daughter, and his son, the project is a continuity of the historical madrasa (school). The mosque, located at the northern part of the project, breaks away from the orthogonal grid that organizes the complex, as it is directed toward Mecca, with its free-standing minaret. Samhouri maintains in his design the traditional element of the courtyard, but uses a series of interlocking courts rather than a single dominant one. He makes subtle references to the Mamluk features, like the mousharabiyeh latticework that he reinterprets in an abstract way in the treatment of the window openings. Otherwise, the project is treated in a modern vocabulary with its geometric forms. The original design did not include arches, but the architect had to redesign the rectangular openings as arched ones to satisfy the preferences of the stakeholders.

General view

Source: Wael Samhouri

© Wael Samhouri

The courtyard

Source: Wael Samhouri

© Wael Samhouri

North-South section

Source: Wael Samhouri

© Wael Samhouri

Ground floor plan

Source: Wael Samhouri

© Wael Samhouri

East elevation

Source: Wael Samhouri

© Wael Samhouri