The Mawlawy Dervishes came to Egypt in the sixteenth century and settled in the New Helmiya district in Cairo. They used an architectural complex from the Mamluk era, consisting of Prince Yusbek’s palace, Prince Qusun’s palace, and the madrasa, or school, and the mausoleum of Prince Sunqur al-Saadi, built in the 14thcentury. In the late 1970s, Italian experts started the restoration processes of the Mawlawy Architectural Complex, as a Field-School for training specialists and students from different Egyptian universities. In 1988, the restoration of the Sama' Khana, which hosted several cultural activities, was completed.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) Antiquities Museum organizes a joint lecture entitled “The History and Restoration of the Mawlawy Architectural Complex in Cairo”, on Tuesday, 25 December 2018, at 12:00 noon, in the BA Main Building, Third Floor Floating Room. The lecture will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Hossam-Eldin Ismail, Professor of Islamic Architecture, Ain Shams University, and Dr. Ali Taha Omar, Director of the Restoration Sector at the Italian-Egyptian Center for Restoration and Archaeology. The lecture will discuss the origin of the Mawlawy dervishes name and their history in Egypt from arrival to departure, the efforts of the Italian-Egyptian team for the restoration and preservation of the Mawlawy Architectural Complex, as well as future plans and programs.

To register, click here.