|
HOME :
Jewelry and Seals :
Coin and Seal Cufflinks : Two Gold Mamluk Coins
|
 |
|
|
|
Two Gold Mamluk Coins - FJ.5699
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 1300
AD
to 1500
AD
Collection: Islamic Gold Coin Cufflinks
Medium: Gold
$4,500.00
Location: United States
|
|
|
| Photo Gallery |
|
|
| Description |
The history of the Mamluk rule in Egypt begins in
the mid-13th century. Es-Salih, the ruler of Egypt,
purchased a large number of Mamluks (a term
meaning "owned" that refers to slaves) for his army.
When the inhabitants of Cairo complained about
their lawlessness he built barracks for the slaves on
an island in the Nile, and they became known as
Bahri (of the river) Mamluks. At the same time, Es-
Salih married a very capable Turkish slave concubine
named Shejer-ed-durr (tree of pearls), making her
his queen. When Es-Salih died in 1249 A.D., St.
Louis was in occupation of Damietta and Egypt was
in a precarious position. Shejered-durr, concealed
the death of her husband and became the "power
behind the throne". Soon, however, she married a
Mamluk, thereby raising a slave to the throne, but
Shejer-ed-durr remained in power through this first
period of Mamluk rule. Mamluk spread from Egypt
to Syria and the Bahri Mamluks ruled their
empire from 1250-1382. Following this the Burji
Mamluks ruled from 1382-1516, at which time the
Ottoman Selim conquered Egypt, thereby ending the
Mamluk reign of power. These radiant gold coins
were minted during the period of Mamluk reign,
continuing the Islamic tradition of depicting artistic,
calligraphic inscriptions on each coin. Since the
world itself is sacred in the Islamic religion, it is only
fitting that the inscriptions on these Mamluk coins
achieve an aesthetic level of beauty unsurpassed in
the history of the written word.
- (FJ.5699)
|
| |
|
