The governorate of Cairo celebrates its national day tomorrow, which marks the 1051 year anniversary of its establishment by Commander Johar Al-Skalli on the sixth of July 969AD by order of the Caliph al-Muizz to the religion of God, the Fatimid, which is the fourth capital of Egypt since the Islamic conquest of it by Amr bin Al-Aas.
On the history of the establishment of Cairo, archaeologist researcher Nadia Abdel-Fattah told the Middle East News Agency today that the story of the city of Cairo started after the Fatimids eliminated the Ikhshidid state, as Jawhar al-Saqali thought about building a new capital for the Fatimid caliph al-Muizz de Din Allah, who was still residing in the countries of Morocco, In preparation for his transfer to Egypt.
She added that in the month of Muharram in the year 358 AH - 968 AD, Al-Mu'izz collected the religion of God, the Fatimid, about a thousand Persians, most of whom were from the Berber tribes and from the Saqalabah.
And continued, that the essence of al-Saqli came out at the head of the Fatimid army on Saturday 14 Rabi` al-Awwal 358 AH / 696 CE, and Egypt received on Shaban 17 AH 358 AH - 969 CE, stressing that the Fatimid army did not face any real resistance.
She referred to what Al-Maqrizi historian wrote about Al-Moez’s army, which said, “He did not enter the land after Alexander the army more than the armies of Al-Moez.” The entry of the Fatimids to Egypt was not merely the replacement of a state with another state, but it was a complete transformation in terms of religious, cultural and social terms.
She explained that the first work done by Jawhar Al-Saqali, after entering Egypt, is to lay the foundations of a new city to be a royal city and the capital of the state that includes most of the Islamic lands, as he chose a place located in a sandy area located in the northeast of the city of Al-Qataeea, adding that that area was not It contains nothing but the grove of gardens, known as the camphor campus, and a Christian monastery called the Monastery of Bones, which is the site of the Mosque of Al-Aqmar now, and a small fort known as the Palace of Thorns, which was built on the ruins of a small palace also called the Palace of Thorns.
She indicated that Jawhar Al-Saqali began building the city by building the Grand Palace, which he prepared to receive the caliph al-Mu’izz, the religion of God. On the day that the Jawhar Cairo stepped in, each of the tribes from which his army formed a plan to settle in, was attributed to them later, and then surrounded them with walls and fortified doors Kabab El-Nasr, Bab El-Fotouh and Bab Zoila.
Archaeologist researcher Nadia Abdel-Fattah said that Cairo was initially known as (Mansuriyya), after the city of Mansuriyya, which was established by Mansur by God, the father of goats, but once Moez arrived in Egypt in 362 AH, even his name was transferred from Mansuriyya to Cairo, and as usual at that time the story was linked to the astrologers And their predictions as they were said to have been built at the time of the appearance of Mars, which was then called the Compelling.
On the authority of Cairo in the Ayyubid period, the archaeologist Nadia Abdel-Fattah explained that Sultan Salah al-Din ruled Egypt from the (Ministry’s House) in Al-Jamaliah, and its place is now the Qrasarnqar School and Khanaqeh Khanbarsh was occupied by Baibarsh Jashnakir, as he made it the seat of the rule, and built the castle and surrounded all the capitals of Egypt (Al-Fustat - Al-Askar - Al-Qta’ea - Cairo) with a single wall, to counter the attacks of the Crusaders. This was the common style in the Levant, confirming that there was no significant development in the planning of the streets of Cairo during the Ayyubid era than it was in the Fatimid era.
As for the Mamluk era, Abdel Fattah indicated that Al Gamalia Street was established and it is one of the most famous archaeological streets in Cairo and has local names including (Bab Al Nasr Street or Soap Agency Street - Habs Al Rahba Street - Beit Al Mal Street - Ahmed Pasha Taher Street - Al Mashhad Al Hussaini Street), and returns The name of the street in Jamaliyya to Prince Jamal Al-Din Mahmoud Al-Astadar, the originator of the Jamaliyya School in the era of Sultan Barquq, the first Sultans of the Mamluk Circassians.
She added that this street was a major road for caravans traveling to Suez and to Damietta via Bab al-Nasr, and he arrived on Jamalia Street in the late 18th century. And not registered.
And about the city of Cairo in the Ottoman era, I emphasized that the Ottoman era witnessed a social transformation and a residential movement resulting from the economic and craftsmanship growth of Al Moez Street, and this social transformation was represented in the transfer of the housing of the princes, the ruling class and the middle class (scholars and major merchants) from Cairo and the surrounding areas of the castle to the beaches Elephant pool and neighborhoods on the western mainland of the bay.
She explained that despite the conversion of Cairo in the Ottoman era from the capital of the caliphate and the seat of government to the main city of one of the Ottoman provinces, it continued its commercial growth, and was a pivotal center in the internal Ottoman trade. She added that all of these factors helped the growth of commercial areas in the Great Street (Al-Moez), and commercial agencies expanded from 58 agencies in the Mamluk era to 360 agencies in the Ottoman era.
She drew attention to the most important commercial activities in that period, and the textile trade was in Al-Ghury Market and for charcoal, while the Al-Sagha area is the place where they work in precious metal work, and the international coffee trade that took place in the 17th century AD, which was distributed to 62 agencies and Khan in the middle of the Great Street (Al-Muiz).
Archaeologist Nadia Abdel-Fattah indicated that Cairo in the era of Muhammad Ali was famous for the magnificent palaces that a group of artists, specialists and skilled workers from France and Italy participated in building, and their work was required to appoint four Egyptians for each foreign artist or expert working with them to learn from them, and among the most famous Palaces of that period (Al-Jawhara, Al-Koba, Al-Haram, Azbakeya, Shubra, and Nile).
On the history of Cairo during the era of Khedive Ismail, she made it clear that when Ismail Pasha assumed the throne of Egypt in 1863, Cairo stretched from the castle at the foot of the Muqattam to the east, and its western borders ended at the Azbakeya tombs and the Ataba Square and the advocacy that is separated from the Nile by a group of ponds, swamps, tombs
Sun, Jul. 5, 2020
