Mausoleum of Shajar al-Durr

This small thirteenth-century tomb in the southern cemetery holds the remains of Shajar al-Durr, a former slave who became the only woman to rule Egypt as sultan in the Islamic period. The modest domed chamber is notable for a rare surviving glass mosaic depicting a tree in its prayer niche, an unusual example of early Islamic figural decoration in the country. Her brief but remarkable reign marked the transition to Mamluk rule. Though easily missed, the mausoleum preserves the memory of one of medieval Egypt's most extraordinary figures.