In May 2021, a monumental piece of stone sculpture by the young Egyptian artist Dina Faez, who was selected following an open call for proposals, was mounted in the square facing the maq’ad of Sultan Qaitbey. It continues the line of sculptural works in the neighbourhood that reflect on the Thin Line Between Life and Death.

“Beyond the Horizon” was the leading theme of two days of events at the MASQ cultural hub on 4-5 December 2020: an exhibition opening, a concert, a walking tour, and a crafts fair. The title inspired by Bob Dylan’s song reflected the theme of exploring things close by, but not obviously visible.

On 13 September 2020, a monumental piece of stone sculpture by the Egyptian artist Hosam Husain, who was selected following an open call for proposals reflecting on the Thin Line Between Life and Death, was mounted next to the mausoleum of al-Gulshani. The piece evokes  both a prayer by a living person and a tombstone commemorating a deceased one.

The sculptor Omar Toussoun created a monumental stone sculpture Keyhole that was mounted in the small square between the mosque/madrassa of Sultan Qaitbey and the oratory of al-Gulshani. It uses mediaeval Islamic forms borrowed directly from the architecture of the neighbourhood.

As all public gatherings have been suspended in Egypt following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the oud concert by the virtuoso Mahmud al-Sawi al-Sayyid was streamed live from an empty hall. It can be viewed on MASQ Facebook page.

To mark the International Women’s day in 2020, ARCHiNOS and our sister organisation the Sultan Foundation invited sculptors to exhibit their works reflecting on womanhood. The resulting exhibition in the oratory of al-Gulshani is now presented on-line until the current pandemic ceases.