November 20, 2020 The Age of Settlement

 Islamic architecture in Egypt in the Fatimid era

The Fatimid state, the Fatimid caliphate, or the slave state is one of the countries of the Islamic Caliphate, and the only one among the caliphate states that adopted the Shiite doctrine (within its official Ismaili branch). This state was established after the Ismaili preachers were active in fueling the Hussaini rim and calling the people to fight in the name of the awaited Imam al-Mahdi, who all predicted his appearance in the near future,] during the Abbasid era, and thus they achieved success in the regions far from the center of government in particular, because of the Abbasids' persecution and persecution of them. In the Arab Mashreq, they moved to Morocco, where they were able to attract the masses, especially the Berber Kutama tribe, and they announced the establishment of the caliphate after a while. The Fatimid state included large regions and regions in North Africa and the Middle East, so its scope extended along the Mediterranean coast from Morocco to Egypt, then the Fatimid caliphs expanded further, annexing to their possessions the island of Sicily, the Levant, and the Hejaz, and their state became the largest state independent of the Abbasid state and its main competitor. On the leadership of the Holy Land and the leadership of the Muslims.

Historical sources differed regarding determining the lineage of the Fatimids, most Shiite sources confirm the validity of what was said by the founder of this dynasty, Imam Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, which is that the Fatimids refer their lineage to Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Jaafar al-Sadiq, so they are Alawite, and from the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad through the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Zahra and the Fourth Rightly Guided Caliphs, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib. On the other hand, other sources denied this lineage and attributed the origin of Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi to the Persians or the Jews. The Fatimids founded the city of Mahdia in the state of Africa in the year 300 AH, corresponding to the years 912 - 913 CE, and they took it as the capital of their emerging state, and in the year 336 AH corresponding to the year 948 CE, they transferred the center of governance to the city of Mansuriyya, When the Fatimids conquered Egypt in 358 AH, corresponding to the year 969 CE, they established the city of Cairo, north of Fustat, and made it their capital, so Egypt became the spiritual, cultural and political center of the state, and it remained so until its collapse.

The origin of the Fatimid era

A number of the Fatimid caliphs showed their intolerance of the Islamic doctrine, so the followers of other sects and religions suffered during their reign, and on the other hand, others were famous for his strong tolerance of other Islamic sects and with non-Muslims from the Jews, the Coptic Christians, the Latins, and the Shams of the Romans, Syriacs, and Maronites too. Because of their state belonging to various racial blocs, they sought help from Berbers, Turks, Ethiopians and Armenians in running state affairs, in addition to the main racial component, namely the Arabs.

The Fatimid era was an extension of the golden age of Islam, but the palaces of the caliphs were not filled with prominent scholars and writers as did the palaces of Baghdad before them. Al-Azhar Mosque and House of Wisdom were two major centers for spreading knowledge and teaching the fundamentals of language and religion. The most prominent scholars of this era was al-Hasan Ibn al-Haytham, the chief natural scientist and the specialist in the science of optics, whose works exceeded one hundred in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine] The Fatimid state began to retreat very quickly during the eleventh and twelfth centuries AD, so the ministers took power and the choice of caliphs became theirs. These caliphs were often children or boys, and a large number of ministers disagreed with the army chiefs, governors, and palace men. They lived in an atmosphere of sedition and intrigue, letting people die of famine and rampant epidemics.

 During that time, the Abbasid caliphate had become in the protection of the Seljuks. , Who took upon themselves to reclaim the lands that the Abbasids lost to the Fatimids, so they conquered the north of the Levant and its coasts and controlled it for a period of time before the Fatimids took it back, but it did not remain in their hands for long, as the first Crusade had reached the East, and the conquest of the single Frankish kings and princes After the other, and one of these kings, Amouri the first, reached the gates of Cairo and threatened it with its downfall. The Fatimid state continued to be contested until the year 1171 AD, when Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi gained independence in Egypt after the death of the last of the Fatimid caliphs, Abu Muhammad Abdullah al-Adid to the religion of God, and removed their nominal authority after their actual authority had disappeared since the reign of the minister Badr al-Din al-Jamali.

Islamic architecture in Egypt in the Fatimid era

In the year (358 AH - 969 AD), the Caliph Al-Muizz Ladin, the Fatimid god, sent an army at the head of his commander, Jawhar al-Sicilian, to conquer Egypt. The essence of the city of al-Qaher was drawn almost in a square shape and built a wall around it of stone. Now from them are Bab al-Nasr and al-Futuh in the north, and Bab Zuweila in the south

 The Great Eastern Palace (358 A.H.)

Jawhar al-Siqali laid the foundation of the palace that he built for his master al-Mu’izz in the space in which Khan al-Khalili and the al-Hasit mosque are now located roughly, and it was also called “The Comforter Palace”. There are many doors in Al-Muizz Palace, including the Gold Gate, the Eid Gate, the Daylam Gate, and the Zahouma Gate.

 The Small Western Palace

It was to the west of the eastern palace and it was smaller than it was built by the Caliph Al-Aziz Billah. Its location is in the place of Souq Al-Nahhasin and the dome of King Al-Mansur Qalawun and what is adjacent to it. Between Qasr al-Mu’izz and Qasr al-Aziz there was a space that could accommodate ten thousand soldiers, which was later called “Bayn al-Qasreen”.

And in the days of the Fatimids, Al-Rawda Island became one of the parks and many scenes were created in it.

 Military architecture in the Fatimid era

The door of victory

Bab al-Nasr consists of two square towers standing in front of the entrance. The entrance leads to a square covered with a cross vault, and the entrance is decorated with drawings representing war machines.