Fatimid Caliphate

A Shi'a Muslim caliphate that ruled parts of North Africa, Egypt, and the Levant from 909 to 1171. Its rulers claimed descent from Fatima, daughter of Muhammad.

Isma'ilism: A branch of Shi'a Islam that recognizes a line of imams descended from Isma'il ibn Ja'far. The Fatimids grounded their religious authority in Isma'ili doctrine and imamate.
Isma'ili da'wa: The organized Isma'ili mission that spread doctrine and allegiance through networks of preachers. Its agents prepared support for Fatimid expansion beyond the dynasty's core lands.
Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah: The Fatimid caliph who ruled from 953 to 975 and oversaw the conquest of Egypt. His reign brought the dynasty's center of power from Ifriqiya to Egypt.
Cairo: The capital of Egypt, founded by the Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli in 969. The Fatimids built their principal seat of rule here after conquering Egypt.
Ayyubid dynasty: A Sunni Muslim dynasty founded by Saladin that ruled Egypt and parts of the Levant from 1171. The Ayyubids replaced the Fatimids and ended Isma'ili caliphal rule in Egypt.
Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah: The first Fatimid caliph, who founded the dynasty in 909. His seizure of power in Ifriqiya established the caliphate.
Dār al-ʿIlm: A Fatimid library and teaching institution established in Cairo in 1005. It supported scholarship and instruction under Fatimid patronage.
Jawhar al-Siqilli: A Fatimid general who conquered Egypt in 969 and founded Cairo. His campaign made Egypt the caliphate's political center.
Al-Azhar Mosque: A mosque in Cairo built under the Fatimids and inaugurated in 972. It served as a major religious institution in the dynasty's capital.
Al-Azhar University: An Islamic institution in Cairo founded by the Fatimids in 970–972 as a mosque and center of learning. It survived the dynasty and later became a leading center of Sunni scholarship.

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