 Built in 1483 with two octagonal and one cylindrical shafts , the Minaret of Qaytbay also has three balconies , supported by muqarnas , a form of stalactite vaulting which provide a smooth transition from a flat surface to a curved one ( first recorded to have been used in Egypt in 1085 ) , that adorn the minaret . The first shaft is octagonal is decorated with keel @-@ arched panels on each side , with a cluster of three columns separating each panel . Above this shaft is the second octagonal shaft which is separated from the first by a balcony and decorated with plaiting . A second balcony separates this shaft with the final cylindrical shaft , decorated with four arches . Above this is the third balcony , crowned by the finial top of the minaret . 
