Sabil-kuttab

The sabil-kuttab is an attractive two-storey structure: below, a public fountain (sabil) dispensing water through iron window grilles; above, a Qur'an school for children (kuttab), known by its open windows and balconies. ¹ The combination became a feature of fifteenth-century mosque architecture and later appeared as a separate building, a distinctive part of Cairo's townscape. ¹

Two sabil-kuttabs flank the façade of the khanqah of Faraj ibn Barquq, their sloping wooden canopies, balcony screens and ablaq masonry relieving the weight of the monumental front. ¹ The Inal complex keeps the remains of one, and in the Qurqumas complex a sabil-kuttab forms the eastern corner. ^{2 3}