al-Zahir Abul-Hasan Ali

Fatimid

296-567 AH

This dynasty first arose in the Magreb (North Africa), seized Ifriqiya from the Aghlabids in 297/909 and conquered Egypt in 358/969, where they founded their new capital al-Qahira (Cairo) adjacent to the ancient city of Fustat. they achieved their apogee under al-Mustansir by the 440s/1050s, briefly occupying Fes to the west and Baghdad to the east, but by the death of al-Amir in 524/1130, their territory was restricted to Egypt. The dynasty was ultimately extinguished by the Ayyubid conqueror Saladin (Salah al-Din Yusuf b. Ayyub) in 567/1171.