Fatimids - Portrait of a Dynasty

A concise history of the enormously powerful and influential Shi'i caliphate.

The Fatimids (909-1171) built an empire that included North Africa, Egypt, and parts of Sicily, Syria, Palestine, and Arabia. Theirs is the only Muslim dynasty known by a woman'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 Shi'i dynasty fostered cultural and artistic excellence as well as cultural tolerance and prosperity across the empire. Drawing on a wealth of historical sources, the book tells both the historical and ongoing influence of the Fatimids on global culture.

About the author

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).

Summary

Brings to life the Fatimids, one of the most significant and intriguing Islamic dynasties.

Product details

• Authors: Delia Cortese, Cortese Delia
• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.06.2025
• EAN: 9781836390190
• ISBN: 978-1-83639-019-0
• No. of pages: 440
• Series: Dynasties
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; HISTORY / Middle East / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Islamic Studies, Islamic Studies, Middle Eastern history, African History, Relating to Islamic / Muslim people and groups, Social groups: religious groups and communities