Qaitbay Mausoleum Reopens Following Major Restoration

The Mausoleum of Sultan al Ashraf Qaitbay in Cairo has reopened to visitors following a multi-year conservation project that restored key architectural and decorative elements of the 15th-century monument.

According to the project team, conservation work was carried out between October 2022 and November 2024. The programme included repairs to the mausoleum's exterior stonework and dome, alongside extensive cleaning of both the interior and exterior, revealing original colours and decorative details that had been obscured over time.

The restoration was supported by a grant awarded in August 2022 through the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, with Archinos Architecture leading the conservation work.

The mausoleum forms part of the Mosque of Qaitbay complex, a religious and funerary ensemble commissioned in 1474 during the Mamluk period. It is regarded as one of Cairo's most significant examples of late Mamluk architecture.

An official reopening ceremony was attended by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Robert Silverman, and Agnieszka Dobrowolska, founder of the Cairo-based conservation firm Archinos Architecture.