Le portail d'Acre transporté au Caire : sources et diffusion des modèles rayonnants en Terre Sainte au milieu du XIIIe siècle

A 13th-century rayonnant-style marble portal, originally from Acre, was transported to Cairo and incorporated into the mausoleum and madrasa of Mamluk Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad (completed in 1403/1404). This architectural artifact, looted by a victorious emir after the fall of Acre in 1291, symbolized dynastic legitimacy and was later repurposed as a trophy. Analysis reveals its design aligns with Parisian structures from around 1240–1250, suggesting it may have been created during King Louis IX's stay in the Holy Land (1248–1254). The study supports this by comparing it to two other nearby ensembles—Nicosia Cathedral’s former north portal and the forecourt of the Crac des Chevaliers—which also reflect Parisian influences, likely disseminated through Louis IX's influence.

Plagnieux, P. (2012). Le portail d’Acre transporté au Caire : sources et diffusion des modèles rayonnants en Terre Sainte au milieu du XIIIe siècle. Bulletin de La Société Nationale Des Antiquaires de France, 2006(1), 144–146. https://doi.org/10.3406/bsnaf.2012.10999