A01=Delia Cortese
Al-Azhar
Author_Delia Cortese
Cairo
Caliphate
Category=JBSR
Category=NHG
Category=QRP
Crusader Kings
Crusader Kings II
Druze
Druze origins
dynasty
empire
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
Fatima al-Zahra
Fatimids
history
Imam-Caliph
Islam
Islamic architecture
Islamic dynasties
Islamic dynasty
Islamic golden age
Islamic history
Isma'ilism
legacy
Maghreb
Medieval North Africa
Muslim
Prophet Muhammad
prosperity
Religious tolerance
Rock Crystals
Shi'a dynasty
Shi'a Islam
tolerance
women
Product details
- ISBN 9781836390190
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 18 Aug 2025
- Publisher: Reaktion Books
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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The Fatimids (909–1171), one of the most significant and intriguing Islamic dynasties, built an empire that included North Africa, Egypt and parts of Sicily, Syria, Palestine and Arabia. Theirs is the only pre-modern Shi‘i dynasty to have established an independent empire and the only one known by a female’s name, Fatima, the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter. The Fatimids promoted women to unprecedented positions of authority and visibility in Islamic history. From Cairo – which they founded in 969 – this dynasty fostered cultural and artistic excellence as well as overall tolerance and prosperity across the empire. By blending historical and material sources, personalities and events that defined the Fatimid era are brought to life in this book. Examining their impact within the context of medieval history across Europe, Africa and Asia, the book also tells of the Fatimids’ legacy and influence on contemporary culture worldwide.
Delia Cortese is Senior Research Fellow at Middlesex University, London, and is affiliated to the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. She has published extensively on the Fatimids and medieval Ismailism and her books include Women and the Fatimids in the World of Islam (with Simonetta Calderini, 2006).
