Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan

The Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan dominates the square with walls that rise over one hundred feet, topped by a heavy, protruding cornice of stone stalactites. Sultan Hassan commissioned this complex in thirteen fifty-six, intending it as a center for all four schools of Sunni jurisprudence. While the project drained the royal treasury, the massive structure served as a fortress during local power struggles. When a minaret collapsed during construction, it killed hundreds, a tragedy that observers at the time labeled an omen of the sultan's demise.