Managing Editor of Al-Ahram Newspaper and Egyptian Film Critic
With the start of the Egyptian high school exams—the most difficult educational stage and a certificate that consistently triggers numerous crises among families—discussions frequently arise regarding the schools founded by Kurds in Egypt.
Remarkably, one of these schools, which includes a mosque, was named the Al-Kurdi School and Mosque and is over 600 years old. Emir Jamal al-Din Mahmud al-Ustadar built the mosque in 1395 AD (797 AH) during the reign of Sultan Faraj bin Barquq in the Mamluk State. He was responsible for overseeing all the Sultan’s households, including kitchens, entourages, tasters (jashankiriyya), expenses, and clothing.
Within the fabric of this extended educational history, the Kurdish role stands out, leaving a deep imprint on the roots of the Egyptian educational and cultural renaissance. The Arabic language, which served as a second language for the Kurds, became a pliable tool in their hands; through it, they shaped the intellect of nations and established platforms for science and knowledge whose brilliance remains radiant to this day.
Guardians of the Arabic Language
The prominent writer Mohamed Salmawy shed light on an angle long obscured in the shadows of history: the continuous Kurdish support for the nation’s causes, alongside the cultural and historical rights they possess across the region’s geography. Salmawy summarized this enduring contribution by stating: “The ancient Kurdish culture did not only grant us Saladin, the champion of the Arabs and the liberator of Jerusalem, but its contribution also continued into modern times to grant us those who elevated the Arabic language to its loftiest heights.”
This contribution materialized in towering figures who shook the foundations of modern Arabic literature, such as the Prince of Poets, Ahmed Shawqi—who forged his Arabic sensibilities from his Kurdish spirit to weave the sweetest poems—and the pioneer of the Arabic short story, Mahmoud Teymour. These names are not merely passing flashes; rather, they are an extension of a long legacy of schools, mosques, and libraries built by the Kurds, whose walls stand today as an eyewitness confirming that they possess historical rights crowned with recognition and gratitude.
Establishing the Educational Infrastructure
These cultural illuminations opened new horizons for uncovering the pivotal role played by the Kurds in the renaissance of education in Egypt. Since the dawn of the Islamic era, particularly when Kurdish leaders and ministers assumed the reins of power, Egypt transformed into a grand workshop for constructing educational institutions. The interest of Kurdish leaders, foremost among them Saladin Al-Ayyubi, was not limited to unifying the nation militarily; they recognized that building minds is the true fortress of nations.
This vision manifested in the construction of a group of ancient historical schools that formed the earliest nucleus of systematic educational institutions in Egypt, most notably:
The Nasiriya School: Founded by Sultan Saladin Al-Ayyubi in 1170 AD in the ancient city of Fustat. He designated its curriculum strictly and carefully for studying and spreading the Shafi’i school of jurisprudence.
The Salahiya School: Another educational landmark built by Saladin. He chose a site of deep spiritual significance for it, adjacent to the tomb of Imam Al-Shafi’i, to serve as a beacon for researchers in jurisprudence.
The School of Emir Qarasunqur al-Mansuri (Al-Qarasunquriyya): Built by Emir Shams al-Din Qarasunqur al-Mansuri, the Deputy of the Sultanate, in the year 700 AH at the head of Bahaa al-Din Alley, currently in the Gamaliya district. It was known as the Qarasunquriyya School in reference to its founder until it was rebuilt by Emir Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar during the era of Sultan Al-Nasir Faraj bin Barquq. Its ownership then moved to Emir Tughan al-Dawadar, then passed to Sheikh Al-Tamimi, the Mufti of the Hanafi school, then to his son Sheikh Abdul Rahman, and finally devolved to Sheikh Muhammad Salim Abdul Rahman.
The Qamhiya School: One of the fruits of Saladin’s early efforts during his tenure as vizier in the late Fatimid era. This school was dedicated to teaching the Maliki school of jurisprudence, reflecting broad-mindedness and doctrinal tolerance.
The School of Al-Adil bin Salar: Founded by the prominent Kurdish vizier “Al-Adil bin Salar” in the late Fatimid era. The significance of this school lies in being one of the earliest educational institutions that paved the way and contributed strongly to spreading and reviving Sunni schools of thought in Egypt.
Alongside these schools established by leaders, the princesses of the Ayyubid household played an equally vital role in patronizing knowledge. The name of the Kurdish princess “Khatun Khan” stands out, as she dedicated her wealth and allocated vast and diverse endowments (awqaf) to serve honorable knowledge. These endowments culminated in the establishment of the “Kurdish Riwaq” (pavilion) at the Al-Azhar Mosque—a pavilion that transformed into a hive of intellectual activity, graduating hundreds of scholars and jurists over the centuries.
With the passage of time and Egypt entering the era of the Mamluk states, the Al-Azhar Mosque witnessed unparalleled academic progress, and its fame spanned the horizons in various Islamic sciences. This scientific radiance turned Al-Azhar into a destination yearned for by bright Kurdish minds, who traveled there to learn from its senior scholars and draw from its rich treasuries of books. What strengthened this bond further was the exceptional care Al-Azhar dedicated to studying and teaching Shafi’i jurisprudence—the school of thought followed by the vast majority of Kurdish students—making their integration into the student body of Al-Azhar something that ran in their veins.
Bridges of Knowledge: From the Mountains of Kurdistan to the Heart of Cairo
The educational relationship was not a one-way street; rather, it expanded to form bridges for cross-border intellectual communication. Historians note that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif maintained a close relationship with the “Qubahan” School in the city of Amadiya, which was considered one of the largest and oldest schools in Kurdistan during the tenth century AH (sixteenth century AD). This relationship manifested in rigorous scholarly exchange; the manuscript draft of Sharh Nur al-Din in jurisprudence was preserved in the “Qubahan” library, which its author had sent specifically from Egypt to be presented to the scholars of the Qubahan School for scrutiny and review, reflecting the intellectual unity of the nation.
Kurdish Libraries
The Kurds did not stop at seeking and spreading knowledge in mosques and schools; they also established scientific libraries that served as arteries pulsing with culture in the streets of Cairo. Most prominent among these was the library founded by Farajallah Zaki Al-Kurdi in the “Hosh Ata” area of the ancient Gamaliya district, which he dedicated to selling and trading books, thereby contributing to facilitating access to knowledge for Egyptians. This courtyard was located within a large estate established by Emir Sulayman Agha Al-Silahdar in the year 1233 AH (1817 AD).
Tales Still Being Told
Anyone contemplating the map of historic Cairo will find the footprints of the Kurdish presence etched into its names and alleys. Take, for instance, the “Suwayqat Al-Lala” area, which begins from the end of Al-Hanafi Street and terminates at Al-Darb Al-Jadid Street. The naming of this historic neighborhood dates back to Lady “Safiya Al-Lala,” the esteemed nanny of the children of kings and emirs (the word lala means nanny or tutor in Turkish). This lady of Kurdish origin lived and died in the neighborhood, and a shrine known as the “Shrine of Sitt Lala” was established for her, where she was buried next to her grandfather, Abdul Jalil Bey, in 1295 AD.
This area teems with architectural landmarks; it contains three famous alleys: “Al-Muhtasib”, which features the Radwan shrine; “Al-Madaqq”, which features the Umar Shah shrine; and the “Marzouq” alley, which ends at the Marzouq bathhouse designated for women. On the right side lies “Harat Al-Iraqi” (The Iraqi Alley), which embraces the shrines of Sheikh Al-Iraqi and Sheikh Mahmoud.
In the heart of this historical fragrance, the Al-Kurdi Mosque stands proudly; it is a mosque accessed via an elegant flight of stairs, beneath which are commercial storehouses surrounded by trees and palm trees. Its minaret rises two stories high, and inside it houses the shrine of “Sheikh Isa Al-Kurdi,” topped by an exquisite wooden enclosure. At the entrance of the area, we encounter the mosque known as the “Dawoud Pasha Mosque,” which began its journey as a school established by Emir Dawoud Pasha, the governor of Egypt, in 945 AH, to which he attached a marble-clad water fountain (sabil) for the poor and passing travelers.
Source: Kurdistan 24
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
