Old Cairo was founded by the Fatimid Caliphate in 969 CE as an administrative capital, but excavations from the 2010s reveal it was built atop earlier urban layers. The defensive walls began as mud brick before being upgraded to stone — some sourced from fallen pyramids, still bearing hieroglyphs. Rammed earth layers uncovered show construction phases beneath the Fatimid city.
Fatimid-era Old Cairo built on ancient necropolis foundations
Key facts
- Old Cairo (Al-Qahira) founded by the Fatimid Caliphate starting in 969 CE
- Originally built as an administrative capital with defensive walls
- Walls initially constructed from mud brick, later upgraded with stone
- Some stone was taken from fallen pyramids, still bearing hieroglyphs
- 2010s excavations uncovered rammed earth layers from the earliest walls
Sources
Fatimids (A.D. 969-1171) - Middle East And North Africaafricame.factsanddetails.com
Cairo was established in 969. It became the Fatimid capital in 983 and became a major center of Islamic and Arabic culture. Al-Azhar, the world's oldest ...
A Brief History of the Fatimid Caliphate - Riwaya Blogriwaya.co.uk
One of the key achievements of the Fatimid Caliphate was the founding of Cairo in 969 CE. ... established Cairo as a centre of Islamic ...
Fatimid dynasty - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
From there, the Fatimid imam–caliphs extended their rule over most of the Maghreb as well as Sicily, before conquering Egypt in 969. Founding Cairo as their new ...
Fatimid dynasty - Discover Egypt's Monumentsegymonuments.gov.eg
The Fatimids invaded Egypt in 358 AH/ 969 AD and subsequently founded a new city, Cairo, north of Al Fustat, making it their capital. Al-Azhar was the first ...
The Rise of the Fatimid Caliphate: A Historical Overview - Simergsimerg.com
His successor, Imam al-Muizz, made Cairo his capital after Egypt was conquered in 969. Before arriving in Cairo, al-Muizz visited Sardinia, Sicily, Adjabiya and ...
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