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al-Hakim (Fatimid Caliph)

Type Figure Region Egypt Time 985–1021 Also known as Hakim bi-Amr Allah

Sixth Fatimid caliph (985–1021; r. 996–1021), ruler of Egypt and Syria, known for erratic religious policies and his mysterious disappearance in 1021.

Timeline

  1. 985–996Cairo · CairoBorn in the Fatimid court, he succeeded at age eleven under a regency; early governance was assisted by senior ministers and his mother, laying the groundwork for his later autocratic style.
  2. 1000–1013Cairo · CairoAfter taking power he pursued shifting religious and social policies, at times severely restricting Christians and Jews and ordering the demolition or rebuilding of religious buildings; he also supported the Cairo observatory and scholarly institutions such as the al-Azhar establishment.
  3. 1013–1021Cairo · CairoIn February 1021 he rode out from Cairo into the Muqattam hills and disappeared; his death was officially announced and his son al-Zahir succeeded him. His life later gave rise to lasting controversy and deification narratives in traditions such as the Druze.

Sources