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Founding of Cairo

Type Event Region Egypt Time 969–973

Around 969 CE Fatimid vizier Jawhar al-Siqilli founded al-Qahira (Cairo) north of Fustat as the new capital of the Fatimid caliphate, which grew into…

Timeline

  1. 969–970Foot of the Mokattam hills · EgyptImmediately after conquering Egypt, Jawhar began building the new city, naming it al-Qahira ('the Victorious') and laying out palace, barracks, and administrative quarters in a symmetrical plan, coexisting with the old capital Fustat.
  2. 970–972Cairo · EgyptThe Fatimids built al-Azhar Mosque in the new capital, which later developed into a center of Shia scholarship and preaching, becoming one of Cairo's most important religious landmarks, continuing to this day.
  3. 973Cairo · EgyptCaliph al-Mu'izz moved from Mahdiya to Cairo, formally shifting the Fatimid capital eastward; Cairo became the center of the Shia caliphate, facing off against the Abbasid court in Baghdad.

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