It was built by the Mamluk sultan al-Mansur Qalawun in 683 A.H/1284 A.D, on the site of the western Fatimid palace facing the madrasa of al-Salih in el-Moezz St.
This complex is composed of 3 buildings; a dome, a madrasa and a hospital.
Qalawun built the hospital because of a vow, which he had taken when he was only an Amir, and lay ill in Damascus.
The façade:
It’s topped with stepped crenellations. The recessed panels include three tires of windows, giving the building the appearance of having 3 stories.
On entry we found ourselves in a long corridor, the ceiling of which is wooden, it’s decorated with geometrical patterns. To the right of this corridor locates the entrance of the dome. To the left of the corridor locates the madrasa, and at the end of the corridor is the hospital.
The minaret stands on the northern corner of the building.
The hospital:
It was known by the Persian word maristan or place of illness; originally, the name was bi-maristan or place of health.
The madrasa:
It has a cruciform plan. The courtyard is surrounded by 4 iwans; the largest of these iwans is the qibla. The ceiling is flat it is made of painted and gilded wood.
The Dome:
It’s reached from a small courtyard surrounded by an arcade with shallow domes. The entrance leading to a rectangular hall. It the middle of this hall, the dome rests on an octagonal structure composed of two pairs of piers.