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Fatimid Caliphate

Type Object Region Egypt Time 909–1171

A Shia Ismaili dynasty founded in 909, ruling Egypt, Syria, and much of North Africa from Cairo;…

Timeline

  1. 909–973Mahdiya (early capital) · TunisiaUbayd Allah al-Mahdi established the Fatimid regime, claiming Ismaili caliphal legitimacy; after conquering Egypt in 969 he moved the capital to Cairo in 973, building religious and scholarly centers such as al-Azhar, which became a hub of Mediterranean–Indian Ocean trade.
  2. 1131–1140Cairo · CairoAfter Caliph al-Amir was assassinated in 1130, the infant al-Atiz claimed succession, while al-Hafiz took power as regent and declared himself caliph in 1132, provoking factional splits at court and in the army; Syrian territories were squeezed by the Crusaders and Zengid forces, and finances and military strength steadily shrank.
  3. 1169–1171Cairo · CairoThe last caliph al-Adid was a figurehead under Saladin's control; in 1171 the Fatimid name was dropped from public prayers, ending the dynasty and returning Egypt to Sunni Ayyubid rule.

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