Sabil-Kuttab of Abdul Rahman Katkhuda

Sabil-Kuttab of Abdul Rahman Katkhuda Review

Katkhuda is a Persian word meaning "master of the house." The powerful gentleman who endowed this building was a patron of the arts and architecture, as befitted his position. Before running water was available to the majority of Cairo's inhabitants, it was customary for wealthy patrons to build a sabil (a public fountain) to provide people with potable water. Often attached to a sabil was a kuttab (a basic school) for teaching children the Qur'an and other subjects. This 17th-century Ottoman monument is impressive for its ornate facade, tiled interior, and location at the head of a fork in the main road of medieval Cairo.