Cairo was founded by which dynasty?

Cairo was founded by which dynasty?

• A. Fatimid
• B. Abbasid
• C. Umayyad
• D. Ayyubid

Answer: (A)

The city long associated with Cairo's beginnings was created as the capital by the Fatimid dynasty. In 969 CE, the Fatimids moved their center from Ifriqiya into Egypt and established a new capital near the old town of Fustat, giving rise to Cairo (Al-Qahira). The leadership of al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah and the general Jawhar al-Siqilli were key in this shift, turning the area into the political and cultural heart of the Fatimid state. The Abbasids, Umayyads, and Ayyubids were not responsible for founding Cairo in this sense—the Abbasids ruled from Baghdad, the Umayyads were centered in earlier Damascus, and the Ayyubids came later, expanding the city rather than founding it.

The city long associated with Cairo's beginnings was created as the capital by the Fatimid dynasty. In 969 CE, the Fatimids moved their center from Ifriqiya into Egypt and established a new capital near the old town of Fustat, giving rise to Cairo (Al-Qahira). The leadership of al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah and the general Jawhar al-Siqilli were key in this shift, turning the area into the political and cultural heart of the Fatimid state. The Abbasids, Umayyads, and Ayyubids were not responsible for founding Cairo in this sense—the Abbasids ruled from Baghdad, the Umayyads were centered in earlier Damascus, and the Ayyubids came later, expanding the city rather than founding it.