   al-ashraf sayf ad-din qa'it bay () (c. 1416/14181496) was the eighteenth burji mamluk sultan of egypt from 872-901 a.h. (ad 1468-1496). (other transliterations of his name include qaytbay and kait bey.) he was circassian by birth, and was purchased by the ninth sultan barsbay (ad 1422 to 1438) before being freed by the eleventh sultan jaqmaq (ad 1438 to 1453). during his reign, he stabilized the mamluk state and economy, consolidated the northern boundaries of the sultanate with the ottoman empire, engaged in trade with other contemporaneous polities, and emerged as a great patron of art and architecture. in fact, although qaitbay fought sixteen military campaigns, he is best remembered for the spectacular building projects that he sponsored, leaving his mark as an architectural patron on mecca, medina, jerusalem, damascus, aleppo, alexandria, and every quarter of cairo. ==biography== ===early life=== qaitbay was born between 1416 and 1418 in great circassia of the caucasus. his skill in archery and horsemanship attracted the attention of a slave merchant who purchased him and brought him to cairo when he was already over twenty years of age. he was quickly purchased by the reigning sultan barsbay and became a member of the palace guard. he was freed by barsbay's successor, jaqmaq, and appointed third executive secretary; under the reigns of sayf ad-din inal, khushqadam, and yilbay he was further promoted through the mamluk military hierarchy, eventually becoming taqaddimat alf, commander of a thousand mamluks. under the sultan timurbugha, finally, qaitbay was appointed atabak, or field marshal of the entire mamluk army.petry, twilight, 24-29. during this period qaitbay amassed a considerable personal fortune which would enable him to exercise substantial acts of beneficence as sultan without draining the royal treasury.petry, twilight, 33. ===accession===  the reign of timubugha lasted less than two months, as he was dethroned in a palace coup on 30 january 1468.petry, twilight, 22. qaitbay was proposed as a compromise candidate acceptable to the various court factions. despite some apparent reluctance, he was enthroned on 31 january. qaitbay insisted that timurburgha be granted an honorable retirement, instead of the enforc
1410s_births 1496_deaths Burji_sultans Circassians Egyptian_nobility