The vast majority of studies examining madrasahs focus on larger institutions built by sultans or other high-ranking state officials. These studies mostly explore the relationships formed between the ruling elite, the ?ulam??, and the common people, with madrasahs acting as instruments of influence among the elite that helped control the distribution of wealth, power, and knowledge. In this year’s MESA conference, I would like to present the story of a far more humble madrasah, established in the mid-fourteenth century by a relatively unknown figure from Mamluk history, S?kir b. Ghuzayyil, known as Ibn al-Baqar?. Ibn al-Baqar? immigrated to Cairo from the Egyptian village Baqar. He entered the Mamluk administrative service, rising through the ranks until he became one of the most trusted officials working under the Sultan al-Hasan (r. 1347-1351, 1354-1361), overseeing the sultan’s treasure and munitions, personal wealth, and the state waqf properties. During his time in Cairo, Ibn al-Baqar? converted from Coptic Christianity to Islam and devoted a portion of his wealth to establishing a madrasah dedicated to the instruction of Sh?fi?? law. The Baqariyyah, as the madrasah came to be called, has not received attention in modern scholarly literature. However, by studying information on its history and appointments in Maqr?z?’s Khi???, along with information about the figures who worked in the madrasah from al-Sakh?w?’s and other biographical dictionaries, a picture of the madrasah’s function and the networks of relationships in which Ibn al-Baqar? moved become clear. I will argue that Ibn al-Baqar? founded his madrasah not as an instrument of control, but as a means of social integration, an outsider’s attempt to enter or establish himself among a variety of communities in Cairo. Ibn al-Baqar? appointed his Sufi shaykh, one of the most prominent Sh?fi?? law professors of his age, and one of the most popular prayer leaders in Cairo to work in his madrasah. These connections helped Ibn al-Baqar? build relationships among Sufis, Sh?fi?? jurists, and the neighborhood residents that might attend prayer at the madrasah. In keeping with the theme of the conference, I will also highlight the social and ideological tensions that existed among these communities, and I will consider the changes that were occurring in fourteenth century Cairo that eased the boundaries between scholars of law and Sufis, as well as the social rifts that continued to separate the Coptic community.