the towering mass of blind wall that dominates the heart of the city at the foot of the citadel is in fact a gigantic complex with four madrasahs and i Friday mosque, as well as a mausoleum in an annex commissioned by Sultan Hasan al-Nasir. together making up the largest Islamic monument in Egypt, His addition include the minaret to the right and the colossal cupola in the background. the propaganda purpose of the ensemble is manifest in the over sized external walls through which which the windows of the madrasah open over four towering floor. A compact and severe block, ponderous rather than grandiose, its language is articulated into an unconvincing statement of formal power. Given its structure, the complex was used on more than one occasion as a fortress, although the cupola had to be rebuilt after damage by cannon fire. The outlandish minarets and domes of various form visible in front of the complex are Mamluk, while the Rifa'i Mosque in the background was erected in the mamluk style in the dying years of the Ottoman Empire.