El- Amir Taz Palace” is also known as ‘’Dar Taz” is one of the most well known Mamluk Palaces remaining in historic Cairo.
Taz al-Nasiri was at first a Mamluk of the Mohammed Qalaoun army. However, he rose through the ranks and became the chief of council or ‘Emir Majlis’. Amir Taz helped Salah al-Din Salih Mohammed Qalaoun to rise through the ranks and become Sultan in 1351.
This palace was built by Amir Taz in 1352 to celebrate his marriage to the Sultan An-Nasir Mohammed’s daughter, Khwand Zahra.
He traveled in search of tranquility and peace of mind away from the city of Cairo.
This took him far from the threats he felt surrounding him in Egypt. He lived for some years in Jerusalem and then Damascus before dying in 763.
The palace has a local community center including training in design and production of traditional carpets, and it partly acts as historic city museum displaying artifacts and architectural fragments.
El Amir Taz Palace is one of the most stunning historical palaces of Medieval Cairo; it was constructed by Prince Saif al-Din Taz in 1352. Currently, it is used for hosting cultural and artistic events.
part of the palace's water delivery system
This ancient palace, along with its significant complex of buildings, annexes and gardens, was built on a huge rectangular plot overlooking a main commercial street named Al-Suyyufiyya and another smaller alley named Darb al Sayh halil. It lies near al-Salibba street and around the corner from Sabil Umm Abbas.
Both the eastern and western sides of the palace are enclosed, giving it a secluded and private atmosphere, while the whole complex is surrounded by a big stone wall keeping all its inner courtyards and quarters out of the sight of passer-bys.
The main entrance is located on Al-Suyyufiyya Street, a central portal richly decorated with stalactites flanked by two secondary arches. Today, only three quarters of the facade and entrance are visible as the street level has been elevated over the years and the lower parts of the structure are now partially buried.
An archway in the palace.
The ground floor is occupied by craftsmen shops all along the facade. During the most recent conservation project, an unexpected discovery of the water supply system was made. This system included a water wheel, aqueducts and cisterns.
This system added considerable knowledge to our understanding of water distribution system used at the time. Until this find, little was actually known about this complex matter.
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