The Empire Of The Mahdi: The Rise Of The Fatimids (HANDBOOK OF ORIENTAL STUDIES/HANDBUCH DER ORIENTALISTIK) (Hardcover)

Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 the Near and Middle East, the Empire of the Mahdi: The Rise of the Fatimids (Probleme Der Agyptologie,)

In the 9th century, a secret sect of the Isma'ilis -- known in the Middle Ages under the name of Fatimids -- arose to play a prominent role in the history of the Near East. Their supreme head today is the Agha Khan. In this mesmerising book, Heinz Halm describes the early history of the Fatimids, from the founding and spread of the secret society to the rise of the caliphal dynasty to power in North Africa and the founding of Cairo, their capital.