At a glance
- Era
- The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era
- Region
- Egypt & Nile · Maghreb
- Identifiers
- Wikidata
- Review
- Completeness 3/5 · Help complete it
In time
The Fatimids founded the city of Cairo in Egypt and built the noble al-Azhar mosque to teach learning and reading.
The Fatimid Caliphate was an Islamic caliphate that originated in North Africa and moved its capital to Egypt after founding Cairo in 358 AH. Its leaders established al-Azhar Mosque and Dar al-Ilm, and trade, glassmaking, textiles, Arabic calligraphy, and grand libraries flourished under their rule.
Storytellers (10–12) read the Explorers text, then cross to the Scholars text.
An Ismaili caliphate established in North Africa in 297 AH (909 CE) by Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi, which expanded into Egypt, the Levant, and the Hijaz, making Cairo its capital from 362 AH (973 CE) until its end under Salah al-Din in 567 AH (1171 CE). Notable for establishing al-Azhar, Dar al-Ilm, and vibrant Red Sea and Mediterranean trade routes, it left a distinctive legacy in architecture, ceramics, and arts.
Overview
According to al-Maqrizi
Al-Maqrizi says that the Fatimid state began with Abu Abd Allah al-Shi'i, who became one of the leading companions of the mission in the Maghrib. 3
He says that al-Mahdi reached Rafada at the end of Rabi' II 297 AH. 1
He says that Cairo became the residence of the caliph with his household and his closest people, and that al-Mu'izz lodged in his palace there. 4 5
He says that the state ended when the Ghuzz came from Syria and Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub took the kingdom of Egypt; he gives al-Qadi al-Fadil's notes for 567 AH. 2
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Connections
People and things also explored
Cairo· The Ismaili Da'wa· al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah Mansur ibn al-Aziz· al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah Abd Allah ibn al-Qadir· يعقوب بن كلس· Baghdad· Ilkhanate· Umayyad Caliphate
Sources
- Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa-l-i'tibar bi-dhikr al-khitat wa-l-athar (al-Khitat al-Maqriziyya), ed. Muhammad Zaynhum and Madiha al-Sharqawi (Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, 1998) , p.1366
- Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa-l-i'tibar bi-dhikr al-khitat wa-l-athar (al-Khitat al-Maqriziyya), ed. Muhammad Zaynhum and Madiha al-Sharqawi (Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, 1998) , p.290
- Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa-l-i'tibar bi-dhikr al-khitat wa-l-athar (al-Khitat al-Maqriziyya), ed. Muhammad Zaynhum and Madiha al-Sharqawi (Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, 1998) , p.1005
- Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa-l-i'tibar bi-dhikr al-khitat wa-l-athar (al-Khitat al-Maqriziyya), ed. Muhammad Zaynhum and Madiha al-Sharqawi (Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, 1998) , p.1001
- Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa-l-i'tibar bi-dhikr al-khitat wa-l-athar (al-Khitat al-Maqriziyya), ed. Muhammad Zaynhum and Madiha al-Sharqawi (Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, 1998) , p.2174
- Wikidata
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Fatimid Caliphate”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/polity/fatimid-caliphate/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-25.