Mamluk Ceiling 2021

I first encountered this pattern in a solitary photograph and was immediately drawn to its harmony and complexity. It appears on the ceiling of the western portico of the mosque within the funerary complex of Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay, who ruled Egypt, Cyprus, and Syria.

The complex was constructed during the Mamluk period in 1425, and the ceiling likely dates from the same time. Its weathered surface and disintegrating textures inspired me to interpret the composition as a deconstruction; an approach that reveals both the underlying geometry and the completed pattern.

In July 2026, I visited the mosque and spent meaningful time experiencing the pattern firsthand.