The papyrus cornices of the upper storeys of the minaret (the uppermost by Qala'un's son al-Nasir Muhammad) are a most unusual example of Pharaonic motifs in Egyptian Islamic art.

The complex of the Mamluk sultan Qala'un (reigned 1280-1290) was built in 1284-1285 on the site of the former Fatimid palace. It comprises a hospital (maristan), madrasa, mausoleum and minaret. The hospital incorporated some of the old palace. The madrasa has an unusual four-iwan plan with two vestigial iwans on the sides; it anticipates those popular for madrasas in later centuries.