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Fatimid Cairo

Type Object Region Egypt Time 969

In 969 CE, the Fatimid general Jawhar (on Caliph al-Mu'izz's orders) founded Cairo (al-Qāhirah) in northern Egypt as the dynasty's capital, replacing…

Timeline

  1. 969Cairo (al-Qāhirah) · EgyptFatimid Caliph al-Mu'izz dispatched his general Jawhar to build the new capital Cairo on the east bank of the Nile and to construct the al-Azhar Mosque; Fustat retained its commercial functions, but political and court power concentrated in the new city.
  2. 1060–1069Cairo · CairoAfter nearly a century of construction, Cairo had taken shape as an Islamic city planned around the palace, government offices, and mosques; walled and bustling with streets and markets, its population kept growing, making it one of the largest cities in North Africa.
  3. 1060–1069Cairo · CairoAl-Azhar attracted Islamic scholars studying theology, jurisprudence, and astronomy; Nile shipping linked Mediterranean and Red Sea trade routes, and Cairo gathered the spice, textile, and precious-metal trades, making it a vital commercial and intellectual node connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa.

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