Fatimid Dynasty

• Fatimid Conquest of Egypt

  The conquest of Egypt was the aim of the Fatimid Caliphs. Egypt, its wealth, commerce, and great port were an important target to get.
• The internal conditions of Egypt at that time were very bad after the death of Kafur, the nomination of a little child to be the ruler of Egypt in addition to the low Nile and the plague. Over 600,000 people died during that famine.
• Fatimid conquest of Egypt

  1. Gawhar al-Saqlabi marched from Qayrawan

  2. Started first with Alexandria without any resistance

  3. People in Fustat asked for an oath of security

  4. Some people opposed the Fatimid rule but were easily defeated

  5. Egyptians surrendered and Fatimid army established their first capital in Egypt known as Cairo
• Gawhar's achievements

  • Laid the foundation of a new capital called al-Qahirah or Cairo
  • Constructed a royal palace and al-Azhar university
  • Ruled Egypt for 4 years as the Fatimid Caliph al-Moezz was still in North Africa
  • Celebrated the different festivals of the Egyptians
  • Cared about the fleet and built a place for manufacturing ships
  • Struck a new coinage of Egypt and changed the value of the dinar which improved the Egyptian economy
  • Sent his army to take over the Levant and established his rule outside Egypt
• Cairo was the 4th Islamic capital in Egypt after al-Fustat, al-Askar and al-Qataie.
• The Fatimids conquered Egypt after several attempts


  358 AH/969 AD
• Al-Qahira


  The name given to the new capital by the 4th Fatimid Caliph al-Moezz when he came to Egypt
• The story of building Cairo

  1. Gawhar called for future tellers or astrologists to build a new city on a good horoscope

  2. They set up wooden posts with a rope tied between them around the city, with bells ringing to signal the start of the foundation

  3. A crow resting on the rope caused the bells to ring, and the workers began the foundation

  4. The planet "al-Qahir" or Mars had appeared, so they called the city "al-Qahira"
• Cairo in the beginning

  • Surrounded by an enclosure wall of mud brick, each side about 1200 meters, where two horsemen could ride on top side by side
  • The wall was either for military protection or to separate the royal family from the public
• Cairo


  A royal city with two great palaces, one in the east and a smaller one in the west, with a large area known as "bayn al-Qasrayn" or between the two palaces
• Caliph al-Moezz

  • The fourth Fatimid Caliph, generous, just, brave, and a strict Muslim of shi'i sect
  • Highly educated in Arabic and Greek
  • Made progress through his dominions, visiting each town and providing for its peace and prosperity
  • Brought the three coffins of his ancestors, indicating the move of the main Fatimid Caliphate to Egypt
• Caliph al-Aziz


  • An excellent ruler, during his reign the treasury overflowed with wealth
  • Built another royal palace facing the eastern palace of Caliph al-Moezz
  • Very tolerant with non-Muslims, especially Christians, allowing them to build churches
  • Took care of the fleet and the army, and started building a mosque nearby his palace
• Caliph al-Hakim


  • Reached the throne at age 11, kept as a co-regent by a slave named Burguwan for the first few years
  • Indulged in pleasures and lost authority, then seized power and started a career of bloodshed
  • Had a passion for darkness, issuing many restrictions and persecuting non-Muslims
  • Founded the "Hall of Science" or "Dar al-Hikma", a luxurious establishment with a vast library
• Al-Hakim did not claim divinity, but he liked the idea and did not oppose it, which provoked the Muslim Sunni Caliphates
• Caliph al-Zahir


  • Al-Hakim's only son, a 16-year-old boy, with his aunt Sett al-Mulk managing the affairs of Egypt for 4 years
  • After her death, the government fell into the hands of bad retinue who encouraged the Caliph to indulge in pleasure, music and hunting trips
• Caliph al-Mustansir


  • Ruled for 60 years, the longest duration in the Fatimid era
  • The Caliphate began to decline during the second half of his reign, with a severe drought, famine, and plague
  • Appointed Badr al-Gamali, an Armenian slave, as vizier, who was able to restore peace and prosperity to the country
• After the death of Caliph al-Mustansir, the powerful vizier al-Afdal claimed that the youngest son al-Musta'li should rule, instead of the expected eldest son Nizar
• Badr al-Din

  Granted the title amir al-Guyush or commander in chief in addition to being a vizier
• Under Badr al-Din's rule, the people enjoyed security and prosperity
• This incident was a reflection of the increased power of the viziers
• Starting from this time, the supreme vizierate started to appear instead of being executive vizierate as it was before
• Building of new stone walls around the city during the reign of al-Mustansir


  1. Replaced old brick walls

  2. Had 8 gates, two in each side, only three are left nowadays: Bab al-Nasr, Bab al-Futuh to the north and Bab Zuwailah to the south
• When Badr al-Gamali died at age of 80, his son Shahinshah succeeded him as a vizier
• Caliph al-Mustansir died at age of 68 years
• After the death of Caliph al-Mustansir

  The powerful vizier al-Afdal claimed the youngest son al-Musta'li should rule instead of the eldest son Nizar, according to al-Mustansir's will
• Al-Afdal sent Nizar to Alexandria to get rid of him as their relation wasn't so good and he felt unsafe to let that strong young man, Nizar, rule the country
• It was al-Afdal's will to appoint al-Musta'li in the Caliphate although being the youngest son, the thing which was rejected by some people who believed in Nizar who was imprisoned till death
• When the Fatimids conquered Egypt, the army leader Gawhar al-Saqlabi built an enclosure wall around the new Fatimid capital "al-Qahira"
• These walls were built for either a military reason to be as a fortress or an aristocratic reason to separate between the Fatimids and the Egyptians
• Badr al-Din al-Jamali the vizier of Caliph al-Mustansir, replaced these walls with stone walls
• Badr al-Din al-Jamali even enlarged the walls by 150 meters to the north of the old wall and about 30 meters to the south and 30 meters to the east
• Bab al-Nasr (gate of victory)


  According to the inscribed kufic band on it, it dates back to 480 AH/1087 AD. This gate was used when the army achieved victory. They used to enter through this gate.
• Bab al-Futuh (gate of conquest)

  According to the inscribed kufic band on it, it dates back to 480 AH/1087 AD. The army preferred to begin their conquest by passing through this gate, they were optimistic about it.
• Bab al-Qantara (gate of bridge)

  There was a bridge or qantara in front of the gate.
• Bab al-Saada (gate of happiness)

  It was named after a slave called Saada who came through it.
• Bab Zuwaila (gate of Zuwaila)

  It dates back to 485 AH/1092 AD. It was called after a tribe was settled there. It was called also bab al-Mutwalli due to mutawalli al-hisba or the inspector.
• Bab al-Mahruq (known as al-Qarratin)


  When a Mamluk prince died, his followers had to burn this gate to get out as it was closed. As for the name al-Qarratin, it is due to a market of qart or alfalfa was there, and al-Qarratin are those merchants who deal in qart or alfalfa.
• Bab al-Nasr (gate of victory)

  • It is composed of two rectangular towers. The entrance vestibule is cross vaulted. A pair of shallow domes on spherical pendentives covers the upper level of the towers.
• Bab al-Futuh (gate of conquest)

  • The towers of Bab al-Futuh are of a semicircular shape; its decoration is not just different but more extensive than that at Bab al-Nasr. The entrance vestibule has a shallow dome and the towers have a cross vault with a carved medallion at the intersection. The towers have a carved round arch and above each arch is a carved rectangle with three arrow slits.
• Bab Zuwaila (gate of Zuwaila)

  • It has a pair of semi-circular towers. It has twin towers originally belongs to the mosque of al-Muayyad sheikh nearby.