In the period from 1400 to 1600 A.D., Egypt confronts various
internal and external threats. Artistic and architectural
developments continue despite political and economic
difficulties. Most important is the Portuguese domination of the
Indian Ocean, which undermines Egypt's pivotal role in world
trade. When Mamluk rule is replaced with Ottoman rule and Egypt
becomes a major province of a world empire, the arts in Cairo
begin to reflect the imperial style set in Istanbul. 13821517In
the Mamluk sultanate, the Burji line of sultans, drawn from a
military elite of professional slave soldiers of primarily
Circassian origin, is in power. The Mamluk realm continues to
benefit from the east-west trade in silks and spices. The arts,
including enameled glass, inlaid metalwork, woodwork, and
textiles, continue to flourish, and various religious and public
monuments are built. 14001425The Mamluk state suffers its
greatest period of external and internal threats. Despite the
devastation caused by the Central Asian conqu