
As a former architect, the restored building that housed the facility was a treat all by itself. It is a glorious two-story Mamluk-era structure sited on the inner western enclosure of the Haram. The structure was the al-Ashrafiya madrasa, or school, which according to the Arabic inscription at its entrance was built in 1482 CE by the sultan Abu An-Nasir Qaytbay. Its beautiful entrance is characterized by alternating red and biege stone bands, a common Islamic style known as ablaq. I was amazed at the intricated interlocking stone details above the lintel and on the sides of the entry.
Very educative