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The Organization of WAQF Documents in Cairo1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2009

Daniel Crecelius
Daniel Crecelius
Affiliation:
Califorania State College, Los Angeles
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Extract

Waqf documents in Cairo form an invaluable yet relatively unexploited source of Egyptian history for the last six centuries. In a body of records of immense value for the quality of their content as well as their number is to be found data of great significance for virtually the entire spectrum of the extended social sciences. By waqf records is meant not simply the original waqfîya, or ḥhujja establishing the waqf, but those subsidiary documents that modify the original donation in some way. Each class of these documents provides information of a unique character. Together they afford one of the most intimate glimpses into the inner functioning of Egyptian urban and rural society.

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Middle East Studies , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , July 1971 , pp. 266 - 277
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1971

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References

page 267 note 1 Ministry of Awqâf, Qalam al-Sijillât al-Ahlîyah, Sijill 12 Ahlî, Haraf ‘B’, no. 73 (A.H. 1229).

page 267 note 2 Daftarkhânat al Mahkamah al-Shar'iyah, Shoubra, al-Bâb al-'Âlî series, Sijill 375, no. 214 (A.H. 1240).

page 267 note 3 Ministry of Awqâf, Qalam al-Sijillât al-Ahlîyah, Sijill 12 Ahlî, Haraf ‘B’, no. 33 (A.H. 1133).

page 267 note 4 Though it is usually a piece of immovable property in the form of land or a building, a waqf may be made of virtually anything, including a book, money, clothes, dishes, etc. The Islamic Museum in Tunis, for instance, has on display a gun that was mawqûf for the purpose of fighting the enemies of Islam.

page 268 note 1 The Ministry of Awqaf graciously permitted me to make a film copy of this important waqfîya, which it preserves in book form in its Daftarkhânah.

page 269 note 1 The Ministry supervises the awqâf khayrîya of virtually all mosques, schools, fountains, dervish monasteries, saints' tombs, religious ceremonies, Islamic missions, sermons, and the like. Its work is divided into many departments for which this paper has no concern. As an example of the type of work which might be of great interest to archaeologists, architects and historians, we might mention the sectional maps of Cairo which the Department of Engineering prepared several decades ago. A perusal of these interesting maps showed several sections of the old city virtually entirely alienated in waqf. Practically the whole Khan al-Khalili district, for instance, is now under the supervision of the Ministry, which is presently tearing down entire blocks of the bazaar to build modern shops.

page 269 note 2 The khayrî waqf supports a pious public purpose such as a mosque, school, hospital, tomb, fountain or religious services. The waqf ahlî, or family waqf, is for the benefit of the family of the donor. Many awqâf, however, are set up to satisfy both family and public purposes. These are referred to as mushtarakah.

page 269 note 3 ‘Alî Mubârak's al-Khtat al-Tawfîqîyah al-Jadîdah (Bulaq, 1887–9) contains a special section devoted to the dervish orders and their structures. In it Mubarak lists great revenues which the dervish orders received annually as the income from their awqâf or as stipends from the government.

page 270 note 1 In 1963 the Ministry of Awqâf attempted to index all the awqâf alienated in favor of al-Azhar. Two general categories were created to list awqâf benefiting the mosque itself and those in favor of the Azhar institutes. The first category was comprised of 55 awqâf which in 1963 produced a revenue of £E 27,000. The second category listed 80 awqâf which yielded £E 14,500 in 1963. Having seen what I felt were hundreds of awqâf alienated in favor of al-Azhar in some way, I personally feel these lists are incomplete.

page 271 note 1 Heyworth-Dunne, J., An Introduction to the History of Education in Egypt (London; 1938), p. 152.Google Scholar

page 271 note 2 ‘Ibrahim Pasha, who, in Europe, is known only as a brave soldier, is here (in Egypt) admired as a benefactor’, Prince, Puckler Muskau, Egypt Under Mehemet Ali (London, 1845), vol. I, p. 98.Google Scholar

page 271 note 3 Some listings record a series of waqfîyât under one number.