Plain Talk

By Mursi Saad El-Din

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It is amazing how researchers always manage to unearth information buried under and inside mountains of documents and references. This is more noticeable in foreign students and writers on the different aspects of Egyptian history, life and culture.

These researches, in the form of books or MA or PhD theses make us Egyptians feel both proud and awkward: proud to find outsiders so much interested in Egypt to bring out works of great value and interest; awkward because we learn about our country from foreign publications. But I suppose research, like literature, knows no boundaries.

This was my feeling when I finished reading a book entitled "Ayyubid Cairo". The author Dr Neil D Mackenzie is a scholar, a holder of PhD in History from the University of Michigan. Going through the book one cannot help but admire the great efforts he must have spent in researching and finally writing this book.

The Ayyubids was a dynasty founded by Salah El Din El Ayyubi, better known as Saladin. The Ayyuybids ruled Egypt from 1171 - 1252 and yet inspite of this short reign lasting only 80 years they were able to accomplish a great deal not only politically and militarily, but in urban terms, accomplishments that formed the basis of future periods.

The book traces back the development of the great capital of Egypt and the changes in the cities of Al Fustat and Al Qahira, forerunners of modern Cairo. Al Fustat was the first Islamic capital of Egypt. It was founded in 630 AD by the Arab forces who came from Arabia and besieged the Byzantine Fortress of Babylon. It extended from the Nile to the Muqattam Hills.

The city of Al Qahira was founded by Jawhar Al Siqilli, the commander of the Fatimid Dynasty in 971 to become the fourth Islamic capital of Egypt. It was founded as a royal/religious quarter with its necessary support facilities, both military and logistic. The focal point of the city was Bayn El Qasrayn, which features in Naguib Mahfouz's Trilogy. It was an open parade ground between the two caliphate palaces. Around the palaces were various markets, arsenals, kitchens and other facilities for the family of the Caliph and his supporting staff and military contingents.

This was the state of Al Qahira when the Ayyubids took over after the collapse of the Fatimid Dynasty. Between 1169 - 1171 AD Saladin attained the undisputed leadership of Egypt. His policy of aggrandisement had its theme the liquidation of the Crusader Kingdoms and the restoration of Sunni Islam after the Shiite rule of the Fatimid. Since Egypt became the economic and military mainstay of the Ayyubid Empire, its cohesion was based in Al Qahira, usually in association with Damascus.

Having given a kind of bird's eye view of the phase leading to the final establishment of Al Qahira, the author goes on to describe the details of the best topographical changes of Al Qahira under the Ayyubids. The most obvious achievement was their attempts to enclose the city by strongholds. He then gives details of the different suburbs of Al Qahira and their exact locations today. He describes the city's defences in the form of fortifications, citadels and naval facilities.

The Ayyubids gave special attention to both governmental and private buildings, with guest houses, a national library, prisons, pavillions, water resources, public baths, schools, hospitals, in short all that make a modern state. During the Ayyubid reign 25 schools were established, including a school for children.

The book is breathtaking. It is a definitive and comprehensiv e study for a period of great interest and value in the history of Egypt's capital.