2.2.3. Virgin Mary Hanging Church (Seventh Century)

Figure 10 shows two existing windcatchers in the Virgin Mary Hanging Church. The windcatchers are located above the *narthex* or lobby, facing northeast [23].

**Figure 10.** Virgin Mary Hanging Church, top view (taken from Google Earth based on [23]).

2.2.4. Virgin Mary Al-Damshareya Church (Eighth Century)

Windcatchers can be seen in Figure 11. They are located above the *narthex* or lobby, facing northwest and above the south chapel [23].

**Figure 11.** Virgin Mary Al-Damshareya Church, top view (taken from Google Earth based on [23]).

2.2.5. Mosque of Al-S. alih ¯ . T. ala'i ¯ -(1160 AD)

In the Mosque of Al-S. ali ¯ h. T. ala'i ¯ -, immediately behind the Imam's pulpit is a rectangular opening 71 cm wide and 1.82 m high that is fitted with a grille. The opening opens into a rectangular 0.5 m<sup>2</sup> vertical shaft (Figure 12). The shaft ascends through the thickness of the wall until it reaches the roof to an awning facing north [18,19,24,25]. Similarly, the Madrasa of al-Na¯s.ir Muh. ammad (1295–1304) has an opening to the right of the mihrab of the Madrasa and a vertical shaft embedded in the masonry of the wall, 1.72 m deep, which are what remains of the windcatcher installed in the main north-western *Iwan* [19,24].

**Figure 12.** Section of the Mosque of al-S. ali ¯ h. T. ala'i ¯ at the minbar and the duct leading to the windcatcher, the arrow signifies the air flow through the duct and into the space (modified by the authors; based on [19,25]).

2.2.6. The Khanqah of Sultan Baybars Al-Jashankir (1306–1310)

The *Khanqah* (hostel for Sufis) of Sultan Baybars al-Jashankir had seven windcatchers [12]: one at the back of the side alcoves of the main *Iwan* (a vaulted portal opening onto a courtyard), one in the frontal niche of the opposite *Iwan*, and two in each of the *maglis'* back walls. The windcatcher in the western *Iwan*, the top of which is still accessible, offers additional information. A duct extends relatively high in the brick masonry and contains wooden beams, which are the remains of a canopy. A cornice halfway up the duct supports a horizontal element, allowing the windcatcher to be closed. The mausoleum, which was added later, features an equally interesting ventilation system. Two vertical ducts are embedded in the thickness of the dividing wall between the khanqah's west *Iwan* and the mausoleum (Figure 13). They lead to the roof and the alcoves on either side of the mihrab, each with its own wooden door leaf. There is cross ventilation between the vestibule of the mausoleum, which has large windows looking to the street, and a skylight on the roof, in addition to the ducts [19].

**Figure 13.** A longitudinal section of the Khanqah of Sultan Baybars al-Jashankir complex showing the ducts in the walls, the arrows signify the air flow through the space (modified by the authors based on [19]).

### 2.2.7. *Qã'a* of Muhibb Al-Din Ash-Shãf'i Al-Muwaqqi (1350)

To capture the ideal air volume and direct it downward, a windcatcher was installed in the northern Iwan [8] at *Qã'a* of Muhibb al-Din Ash-Shãf'i Al-Muwaqqi. The windcatcher on this building is the oldest example of a windcatcher made of stone that has survived for more than 500 years [12]. A model of the building (Figure 14), created by Hassan Fathy, shows the windcatcher on the left and the pavilion in the center [12,19]. The windcatcher's expansive canopy is open to the north and west but is closed to the south using a buttressed wall. The windcatcher was kept closed using wooden shutters. Moreover, through the windcatcher's opening in the ceiling, one can observe the amount of light that enters the space and illuminates the Iwan's front wall [19]. The air movement in the building is

illustrated in Figure 5, which shows the windcatcher supplementing the building with cool air while the skylight extracts the hot air.

**Figure 14.** A 3D model of *Qa'a* of Muhibb al-Din al-Shãfi'i al-Muwaqqi. Reprinted with permission from [26]. 2023. Courtesy of the Rare Books and Special Collections Library, The American University in Cairo.
