Barkûk removed the steps to the mosque and closed the great door, and once the building was shut up for about 50 years.

Mr. Poole tells us that in the middle of the

fifteenth century a tight-rope was stretched from the minaret to the Citadel, whereon a gymnast disported himself, to the tremendous delight of the populace. One of the most

interesting objects in the mosque is the door leading to the tomb, which is plated with arabesques in bronze, and inlaid with gold and silver.

VII. The Mosque of Barkûk was begun during the lifetime of Sulțân Barkûk, and was finished by his sons Farag and Asis in 1410. It is a square building, and its two domes and two minarets render it a picturesque and striking object; in fact, some authorities consider it to be the most beautiful example of Saracenic architecture. The stone pulpit was presented to the mosque by Kâ'it Bey, and is a very fine specimen of its

VIII. The Mosque of Kâ 'it Bey was built about 1475, and is usually considered to be one of the finest architectural works in Cairo; when we remember the numerous building operations which he carried on in Cairo and in other parts of his dominions, and the beauty of the work and intricacy of the ornaments with which he decorated them, this is not to be wondered at. The arabesques and medallions which ornament the stones of the main arch are marvellous specimens of that class of work, and the mosaics in the pavement and walls are very fine. The carved woodwork of the pulpit is especially deserving of note; in connection with this it may be mentioned

that the stone pulpit which he built in Barkûk's tomb-mosque illustrates the skill which the workmen of the day possessed, and the application of geometrical patterns to the ornamentation of slabs of stone. The minaret is a beautiful and most characteristic example of Saracenic architecture of the fifteenth century. The mosque is about 80 feet long and 70 feet wide.

IX. The Mosque of Al-Ḥâkim was founded in 990 by Al-'Azîz, and prayers were said in it a year later; the decoration, minarets, etc., were begun in 1003 by his son Hâkim, and were finished in 1013. The Crusaders turned this mosque into a church in 1167, when they occupied Cairo; it was afterwards used for stables, and it was practically destroyed by the earthquake of 1303, but was restored by Bêbars the following year. In 1420 it was again in ruins, and since then the court has been used as a rope walk; for a few years some of the arcades at the east end were used as a museum of Arab art. The square bases of the minarets do not belong to the original building, but date from 1302.

X. The Mosque of Al-Mu'ayyad was built by Mu'ayyad, one of the Circassian Mamluks, and was finished about 1412; it is also known as "Al-Aḥmar," i.e., "the Red," from the colour of the walls outside. The fine bronze-plated entrance door was removed by Al-Mu'ayyad from the Mosque of Ḥasan in In the Lîwân or sanctuary are the tombs of the founder and several of the members of his family. The mosaics, panels, ornaments, and inscriptions are well worth examination.

1410.

XI. The Mosque of Abû Bakr Mazhar belongs to the latter part of the fifteenth century; it is interesting chiefly because of the red and black plaster mosaic with which one of its walls is ornamented.

He

XII. The Mosque of Al-Ghûri was built by the Sulțân Al-Ghûri, who began to reign in 1501. His madrasah, or college, was built in 1503, and his tomb-mosque a year later; they stand one on one side of the street and one on the other. fell at the age of 76 fighting against the Turks at Marg Dâbak, near Aleppo, on August 24th, 1516, for, having been deserted by the two wings of his army, he and his bodyguard were trampled under foot by the horsemen of the enemy. He will be remembered as the builder of a minaret of the Mosque of Al-Azhar, and the Mosque of the Nilometer on the Island of Rôḍah, the great Sabîl or Fountain in the Rumêlah, the watermills at Old Cairo, and as the restorer of the Aqueduct to the Citadel.