Al-Shadbakhtiyah Madrasa

Al-Shadbakhtiyah Madrasa (Arabic: المدرسة الشاذبختية‎) is a madrasah complex in Aleppo, Syria. It is one of the earliest preserved Ayyubid madrasas. It was built by Jamal al-Din Shadbakht, a freed slave of Zengid ruler Nur al-Din in 1193 AD. The madrasa is situated about 200 metres (660 ft) west of the citadel. Its plan is organized around a central rectangular courtyard that is wrapped by a tripartite prayer hall on the south side, a large iwan on the north side and multiple cells on the east side. The west wing has disappeared due to a 19th century extension of a vaulted bazaar that wraps around the building itself from three sides. Other than this developed asymmetry, the madrasa's plan is a traditional one that is repeated in both al-Kamiliya madrasa and al-Firdaws madrasa. The shrine of Sheikh Maruf, after whom the building was renamed, is located in the second tripartite prayer hall on the northeastern corner of the madrasa.