Fatimid Caliphate: Map & History
The Fatimid Caliphate, also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate that existed from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty.
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The Fatimid Caliphate, also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate that existed from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty. Spanning a large area of North Africa and West Asia, it ranged from the western Mediterranean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. The Fatimids traced their ancestry to the Islamic prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatima and her husband Ali, considered the first Imam of Shi'a Islam. The Fatimids were acknowledged as the rightful imams by different Isma'ili communities as well as by denominations in many other Muslim lands and adjacent regions. Starting in Ifriqiya under the Aghlabids, who were themselves nominally under the Abbasid Caliphate, the Fatimids eventually overthrew both, and extended their rule across the Mediterranean coast, ultimately making Egypt the centre of their caliphate. At its height, the caliphate included—in addition to Egypt—varying areas of the Maghreb, Sicily, the Levant, and the Hejaz.
Modern Countries Once Part of Fatimid Caliphate
At its mapped extent, Fatimid Caliphate covered territory in 13 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Jordan970–1098 CE · nearly all
- Malta911–1098 CE · nearly all
- Egypt970–1168 CE · most
- Lebanon970–1027 CE · most
- Palestine970–1071 CE · most
- Tunisia911–1055 CE · most
- Israel970–1071 CE · most
- Algeria911–1017 CE · a large part
- Saudi Arabia970–1176 CE · a large part
- Morocco922–946 CE · a large part
- Libya911–1168 CE · a large part
- Syria970–1027 CE · a small part
- Italy911–959 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Fatimid Caliphate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Fatimid Caliphate in Depth
History
The Fatimid dynasty came to power as the leaders of Isma'ilism, a revolutionary Shi'a movement "which was at the same time political and religious, philosophical and social," and which originally proclaimed nothing less than the arrival of an Islamic messiah. The origins of that movement, and of the dynasty itself, are obscure prior to the late ninth century.
The Fatimid rulers were Arab in origin, starting with its founder, the Isma'ili Shi'a caliph Abdallah al-Mahdi Billah. The caliphate's establishment was accomplished by Kutama Berbers from Little Kabylia, who converted to the Fatimid cause early and made up its original military forces.
The Shi'a opposed the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, whom they considered usurpers.
Military system
The Fatimid military was based largely on the Kutama Berber tribesmen brought along on the march to Egypt, and they remained an important part of the military even after Ifriqiya began to break away. The Kutamas formed the original core of the Fatimid army and were instrumental in the dynasty’s rise. As the first group to pledge mass support to the hidden Ismaili imam, they enabled the public emergence of al-Mahdi. In Ifriqiya the army remained predominantly Berber, though Arab elements gradually increased. After the move to Egypt the Kutamas retained elite status and led major campaigns of expansion and defence, including operations against the Qarmatians.
Legacy
After al-Mustansir, his sons Nizar al-Mustafa and al-Musta'li both claimed the right to rule, leading to the Ismailis splitting into the Nizari and Musta'lifactions respectively. Nizar's successors eventually came to be known as the Aga Khans. Among Mustali's, another schism happened at the death of al-Amir in 1130. He was reportedly survived by his infant son al-Tayyib, who was then declared dead by al-Amir's cousin al-Hafiz, who took the caliphate. His supporters became the Hafizi branch, while his opponents, the Tayyibis, claimed al-Tayyib was alive and in hiding, and the true Imam. The Hafizi branch recognized the remaining Imam-caliphs till the dynasty's end in 1171. Meanwhile at-Tayyib's claim to the imamate was endorsed by Arwa al-Sulayhi, Queen of Yemen.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Fatimid Caliphate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Fatimid Caliphate: Key Facts
| Capitals | Mahdia, Al-Mansuriya, Cairo |
|---|---|
| Official language | Arabic |
| Religion | Islam |
| Currency | Dirham |
| Founded | 909 CE |
| Dissolved | 1171 |
Preceded by
- Abbasid Caliphate
- Aghlabids
- Rustamid dynasty
- Idrisid dynasty
- Ikhshidid dynasty
Succeeded by
- Ayyubid Sultanate
- Zirid Dynasty
- Zengid dynasty
- Muslim Sicily
- Kingdom of Jerusalem
- Principality of Antioch
Facts from Wikidata Q160307 (CC0).
Fatimid Caliphate Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Fatimid Caliphate appears, with the other states of the time.
Fatimid Caliphate Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 1,946,636 km² in 984 CE.
Fatimid Caliphate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Fatimid Caliphate exist?
The Fatimid Caliphate is dated to 911 CE – 1176 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Fatimid Caliphate?
The capital of the Fatimid Caliphate was Raqqada (909–921), Mahdia (921–948), al-Mansuriya (948–973), Cairo (973–1171).
How large was the Fatimid Caliphate at its peak?
At its peak in 984 AD the Fatimid Caliphate covered about 1,946,636 km².
How did the map of the Fatimid Caliphate change over time?
The Fatimid Caliphate appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1000 CE to 1100 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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