Not far from the Citadel of Cairo is a complex of Emir Sheikh - two large buildings between which the street. The complex includes a two mosques, madrasas and Sufi hanaka greater, survived the truth in the form of ruins.
I decided to stop at this very complex, because these buildings are a
good example of how to look Sufi monastery in medieval Cairo. Mosque and
Emir Sheikh khanaka were built in 1355 during the reign of Sultan
Hassan. This was the heyday of the Mamluk construction, while most were
built cyclopean structures such as the sultan's huge mausoleum in the
square in front of the Citadel.
At the same time greatly increased the influence of Sufism in Egypt and
throughout the Arab world. Mamluk sultans patronized this religious
movement of Islam and built a huge number of khanaka, Ribat for
wandering dervishes, almost every Mamluk sultan erected on the money the
next "Sufi monastery" consisting of a mosque, and residences for the
Sufis. Cairo, the undisputed leader in the number of these structures,
almost all of them survived until our days. In khanaka Emir Sheikh could
live more than 300 dervishes at the same time, tens of thousands across
the city ....
Cells of the Sufis in khanaka Emir Sheikh
Sufism
or tasawwuf is the doctrine of the individual man's knowledge of God.
This concept combines countless Islamic religious teachings, hundreds of
schools and trends. In contrast to the basic Christian teachings, the
Sufi is not centralized - each new head of the religious community can
bring what is changing its overall religious concept. Thus were formed
more new Sufi brotherhoods ...
Exceptional features of Sufism can be called - the preaching of poverty
(faqr), it is self-Sufi - fakir (beggar), which although not always, as
usual, respect and religious zeal dhikr (remembrance of God's name),
which could take place under the musical accompaniment, and while
ecstatic dances. Also, the dervishes conducted a variety of positions,
would be alone in the cells, went into the deserts and mountains, thus
repeating the life of all Christian monks.
Dervish Kalandar
Bektashi dervish
Dervishes Central Asia
Whirling Dervishes Mevlevi
Whirling Dervishes. Siyah Kalem 15 century (Persia)
Sufi meditative practices - dhikr