The art of the Mamluks is possibly best known for the creation of spectacular metalwork, examples of which are among the most cherished possessions of many public and private collections around the world.
Key (bronze: inlaid with silver, 1363/64). Donated by Sultan Shaban II to the Kaaba in Mecca. Among the sacred objects commissioned by Mamluk sultans were keys for the Kaaba in Mecca, the most revered shrine in Islam. Mecca and Medina were under the jurisdiction of the Mamluks, and the sultans were responsible for the maintenance of mosques in these cities and the protection of the pilgrimage routes. Many rulers spent a substantial portion of state revenues on the construction of buildings and donated valuable Korans and metalwork to the mosques. Shaban II (1363-76), who restored the pavement of the court of the mosque enclosing the Kaaba, donated this silver inlaid key to the shrine
