Tunshuk Palace (Arabic: دار الست طنشق) was built for a Mamluk lady, Tunshuk, around 1398,[1] in Jerusalem.
Location edit
Tunshuk Palace is located west of Haram esh-Sharif, on the south side of the ‘Aqabat al-Takiyya street, while the turba (mausoleum) for Lady Tunshuk is across the street. The ‘Aqabat al-Takiyya leads to the Council Gate, and the Palace is located sufficiently high to have had a clear view over the Dome of the Rock.[2]
Foundress edit
The identity of the family of Lady Tunshuk is unknown, but it has been suggested that she was related to the Muzaffarids.[2][3]
According to Mujir al-Din, she was already living in Jerusalem in 794/1391,[2][4] and was close to the Qalandariyya.[2][5] Through her agents she had first bought 1/3 and then 1/4 of Beit Safafa, for a total of 100,100 dirhams.[6] She had made her property a waqf, which benefits passed after her death to Amir Baha’al-Din b. ‘Abdallah, the majordomo of Al-Manjakiyya.[6] Tunshuk died in 1398 and was buried in the mausoleum she had prepared across the street from the her palace.[6]
Architecture edit
There are four entrances facing the ‘Aqabat al-Takiyya street, of which only the three western ones belong to the Tunshuk Palace. The eastern most entrance was built later, in the 16th century for the Haseki Sultan Imaret, and it opens up to a yard, called the Eastern yard, belonging to this imaret.[8]
The Eastern portal for the Tunshuk Palace is the most imposing, built of red and cream-coloured ablaq stones. At the top are four levels of muqarna stalactites, surrounded by a black, red and cream-coloured voussoir.[8] At the centre of rear wall of this portal is a square lime−stone, carved to have an inlay of black stone, red and green glass, and possibly turquoise faience, and with an oculus in the centre. The inlay are presently all missing,[8] but were present at the end of the 19th century.[7] The portal is now blocked,[8] but used to lead to a long, narrow row of rooms.[6]
The Western portal, now also blocked, has an ogee moulding, which frame red and cream-coloured ablaq masonry. It has an Arabic inscription, unfortunately with no historical information, instead it cites the Basmala and verses 46-55 of sura xv of the Koran.[8][9][10]
History edit
Around 1815, the envoy William Turner still found it to be a working imaret. Turner, imagining that he saw the remains of the kitchen of Helena, noted: "It is still used by the Turks for the purpose for which it was originally instituted, being a kitchen endowed by the Sultan for the benefit of the poor, and of Turkish travellers. The Turks have divided it into several apartments, of which some are ovens, some stables; and above they have built a mosque and a bath. [] In the kitchen (which has a small dome, supported by four square clumsy columns), are some of the original caldrons of Helena; of which one of the largest that I measured was fifty inches round, and thirty−three inches deep. A mituclee (superintendent) is sometimes sent from Constantinople, to honour a distinguished visitor here; and he has residence in the kitchen, and takes care that the guest be well provided from it: In this case the poor are neglected, as the fund is eaten up by the numerous attendants that always accompany a distinguished Turk."[11]
In 1838, it was noted that part of the revenue from Beit Jala went to this institution.[12]
Gallery edit
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The top of the entrance to the Haseki Sultan Imaret -
The top of the Central portal; presently the only open portal to the Tunshuk Palace -
Lady Tunshuk's "turba" (=mausoleum) across the street from her palace
References edit
- ^ Ron Fuchs, 'The Palestinian Arab Home and the Islamic "Primitive Hut",' in Gülru Necipoğlu (ed), Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World, BRILL, 1998 ISBN 978-9-004-11084-7 pp.157-176 p.170
- ^ a b c d Burgoyne, 1987, p. 485
- ^ van Berchem, 1922, pp. 310−311
- ^ Moudjir ed-dyn, 1876, p. 179
- ^ Moudjir ed-dyn, 1876, p. 199
- ^ a b c d Burgoyne, 1987, p. 486
- ^ a b Bourgoin, 1873, pl.51
- ^ a b c d e Burgoyne, 1987, p. 487
- ^ van Berchem, 1920, Pl. LXXIII
- ^ van Berchem, 1922, pp. 308−309
- ^ Turner, 1820, vol 2, p. 268
- ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol. 2, p. 322, note 2
Bibliography edit
- Ahunbay, Zeynep; Betül Ekimci, Füsun Ece Ferah, Umut Almaç, Duygu Göçmen, Burcu Akan (2009). Public Kitchen of Haseki Sultan within the Takiyya Complex in Al−Quds/Jerusalem. Istanbul. ISBN 978-92-9063-190-3.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) (pp. 175−192) - Berchem, van, M. (1920). MIFAO 45.2 Matériaux pour un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Part 2 Syrie du Sud T.3 Fasc. 2 Jérusalem Index général. Cairo: Impr. de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale.
- Berchem, van, M. (1922). MIFAO 43 Matériaux pour un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Part 2 Syrie du Sud T.1 Jérusalem "Ville" (in French and Arabic). Cairo: Impr. de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale.
- Bourgoin, J [in French] (1873). Les Arts Arabes. Paris: Librairie de Firmin-Didot et Cie.
- Burgoyne, Michael Hamilton (1987). Mamluk Jerusalem. ISBN 090503533X.
- Harvey, William (1912). "Jerusalem drawings". Architectural Review. 22: 201–206.
- Moudjir ed-dyn (1876). Sauvaire (ed.). Histoire de Jérusalem et d'Hébron depuis Abraham jusqu'à la fin du XVe siècle de J.-C. : fragments de la Chronique de Moudjir-ed-dyn.
- Pierotti, Emerete; Bonney, T.G. (1864). Jerusalem explored. Vol. 2. London: Bell and Daldy.
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 2. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. (p. 30, note 4)
- Tobler, T. (1853). Dr. Titus Toblers zwei Bucher Topographie von Jerusalem und seinen Umgebungen (in German). Vol. 1. Berlin: G. Reimer. (pp. 200, 217)
- Turner, W. (1820). Journal of a tour in the Levant. Vol. 2. London: John Murray.