Author
There is a signature of one of the craftsmen who worked on the construction of the building, engraved on the face of a muqarnas that, when opened, lights a ceiling in the middle of the market. The signature was written in Mamluk Naskh script, and reads:
Author Original
هناك توقيع لأحد الحرفيين الذين اشتغلوا في تنفيذ المبنى حُفر في وجه مقرنص يقع عند فتحه إنارة سقفية في وسط السوق كُتب التوقيع بخط النسخ المملوكي، ونصّه
Publication Date
737 / 1336-1337
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;pa;Mon01;6;ar
Library Location
It is located on the western side of the Noble Sanctuary, and extends from Bab al-Qattanin - one of the important doors leading to the Noble Sanctuary - to Al-Wad Road, Jerusalem
Date
737 / 1336-1337
Notes
Souq Al-Qattanin extends from east to west for 95 metres. This commercial market contains two shops, two bathrooms, and two rows of shops, each row containing thirty shops. The market has a rectangular layout, and its roof is arched with a barrel vault, divided by a series of arches into thirty parts, in each part of which a skylight is opened to bring air and light into the market. The market was built of polished white stones that turned gray over time. Each shop was provided with a wooden shutter. The market has two entrances: eastern and western. The eastern entrance is Bab al-Qattanin, which opens onto the western side of the sanctuary. This entrance was built with great care and is considered an architectural masterpiece. The entrance consists of an apse with a trefoil arch surrounded by another large apse crowned by a pointed arch and a semi-dome roof resting on five rows of stone muqarnas. The entrance was built of black, red and gray stone, and the stones were arranged with great care and in the ablaq style. This harmony of colors is common in the Islamic architecture of Jerusalem, especially in buildings dating back to the Mamluk period. As for the western entrance to the market, it is simpler in its architectural composition than the eastern entrance, as it consists of a rectangular door opening surmounted by a large lintel. The lintel consists of seven interlocking cymbals, and is surmounted by a relief arch, above which a circular window opens. These entrance elements are located in a settee wall surrounded by a large pointed arch. The Qattaneen market is considered one of the most complete and beautiful markets in Palestine, and indeed in the Levant. The market enjoyed abundant income, which was allocated to support the Holy Mosque and the projects of Prince Tunkaz al-Nasiri that he established in Jerusalem, such as the Tunkazi school.
Sample Text
Yusuf al-Natsheh “Souk Al-Qattanin” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;pa;Mon01;6;ar
