Encyclopedia of Islam

Fatimid dynasty

  

231  J

---

The Fatimid dynasty’s most memorable ruler 

was the caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (r. 996–

1021), who built a monumental mosque and 

gateways in Cairo and founded the House of 

Knowledge. In 1009, however, he destroyed the 

Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the burial place of 

J

esUs

, which contributed to the launching of the 

First c

rUsade

 at the end of the century. Al-Hakim 

has also been charged with abusing his power by 

arbitrarily ordering the execution of members 

of his court, confining women to their homes, 

persecuting Christians, Jews, and Sunni Muslims, 

banning popular recreational activities, having 

Cairo’s dogs killed because their barking annoyed 

him, and outlawing the game of chess. Al-Hakim 

died under mysterious circumstances in 1021, but 

Ismaili claims about his divinity gave rise to the 

d

rUze

 religion in Syria. Later, after 1094, a schism 

in the dynasty led to the creation of the two major 

branches of the Ismaili Shia, the Mustalis and the 

Nizaris. The Yemeni and Indian Bohra Ismailis 

trace their origins to the first of these branches; 

the latter is associated with the sect known in the 

West as the a

ssassins

 and the modern-day a

ga

k

han

 Ismailis. The Fatimid dynasty suffered from 

a number of damaging internal and external crises, 

including natural catastrophes, dynastic disputes, 

ethnic and religious factionalism, opposition from 

powerful Sunni rulers in Syria and Iraq, and the 

invasion of the first crusaders from Europe in 

The mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (early 11th century), Cairo, Egypt 

(Juan E. Campo)

K  232  

Fatimid dynasty

---

1096. In 1171, the last Fatimid caliph, al-Adid, 

was overthrown by a Kurdish commander, s

ala

-

din

 (1174–93), who became the 

sUltan

 of Egypt 

and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty (1174–

1250). This Sunni dynasty effectively put an end 

to Ismaili influence in Egypt.

See also  a

bbasid

  c

aliphate

;  c

hristianity

 

and

i

slam

; i

smaili

 s

hiism

; U

mayyad

 c

aliphate

.