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The Burning of al-Fustat, the Vizierate of Shirkuh, then Salah al-Din

حريق الفسطاط ووزارة شيركوه ثم صلاح الدين

c. 1169 CE · 564 AH

Al-Fustat

In 564 the Franks came on Egypt in a great host, took Bilbays and besieged Cairo — its lord burnt al-Fustat for fear of them — then wrote Nur al-Din for aid. Shirkuh came, the Franks withdrew, al-Adid made him vizier — and he died sixty-five days later. His nephew Salah al-Din took his place, titled al-Malik al-Nasir, and served the sultanate as none could 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
Region
Egypt & Nile
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

In time

116011701180 c.
The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era · The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks

Overview

Al-Suyuti, in "History of the Caliphs", says that the Franks came toward the land of Egypt in 564 AH with a great army, took Bilbays and besieged Cairo. Its governor burned Fustat out of fear of them. 2

The vizierate

The secretary of the lord of Egypt appealed for help to the sultan Nur al-Din, and Asad al-Din Shirkuh came with his armies, and the Franks left Cairo when they heard of his arrival. Al-Adid appointed him vizier, and he died sixty-five days later. 2

Then al-Adid appointed in his place his nephew Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, and gave him the title "al-Malik al-Nasir". Al-Suyuti describes his exercise of the sultanate as complete in every way. 2

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
أسد الدين شيركوه· صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب الملك الناصر· al-Adid li-Din Allah, last Ubaydid caliph
Occurred at
Al-Fustat

People and things also explored

Ending the Ubaydid Khutba and Restoring the Abbasid Khutba in Egypt· death of Asad al-Dīn Shīrkūh — Saladin chosen vizier in his place· Shirkuh enters Egypt, Shawar is killed, and Shirkuh takes the vizierate· Asad al-Din Shirkuh's first expedition to Egypt· Dar al-Anmat· the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As· the great battle at Acre — the sieges fiercest day· the Ayyubid shuffle — al-Adil to Aleppo, al-Aziz to Egypt

Sources

  1. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 680
  2. Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.680
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The Burning of al-Fustat, the Vizierate of Shirkuh, then Salah al-Din”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/fustat-burning-cairo-564/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-22.

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Ending the Ubaydid Khutba and Restoring the Abbasid Khutba in Egypt

Al-Imad al-Katib: Salah al-Din opened the year 567 with Egypt's greatest obedience — the Abbasid khutba, first Jumu'a at Fustat's mosque, the second at Cairo; al-Adid died that Ashura, and the palace's treasures sold for ten years. Shihab al-Din ibn Abi Asrun bore the news to Baghdad, and al-Imad wrote a general proclamation read across the lands of Islam — 'no minbar remains in those lands but the khutba for our lord al-Mustadi' is upon it'. Ibn al-Athir adds: Nur al-Din ordered it, Salah al-Din feared an Egyptian rising, and the Ajami called al-Amir al-Alim mounted the minbar before the khatib and prayed for al-Mustadi' — 'not two goats butted over it'. The khutba spread to Yemen, Barqa, Tawzar and Egypt to Aswan; Ibn al-Jawzi wrote his book al-Nasr ala Misr.