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Al-Hafiz

Type Figure Region Egypt Time c. 1076–1149 Also known as Isma'il ibn Amir

Al-Hafiz (c. 1076–1149) was the fourteenth Fatimid caliph, ruling in Cairo from 1130 until his death in 1149, a key ruler during the dynasty's declin…

Timeline

  1. c. 1076–1130Ashkelon · PalestineAl-Hafiz was born in the Palestinian coastal city of Ashkelon, a descendant of the Fatimid royal house. In his youth he entered the court at Cairo, personally witnessing several political crises and palace coups, gradually accumulating governing experience while awaiting the moment to take supreme power.
  2. 1130–1149Cairo · EgyptAfter Caliph al-Amir was assassinated in 1130, al-Hafiz ascended the throne in Cairo as the fourteenth Fatimid caliph. During his reign he repeatedly deposed and executed overreaching viziers to uphold caliphal authority. He patronized mosque repairs and Isma'il theological scholarship, striving to maintain the dynasty's spiritual and political cohesion until his death in Cairo in 1149.

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