Saladin's defeat of the Fatimid black African troops removed the dynasty's main military support, enabling the Sunni Ayyubid takeover of Egypt by 1171.
Key Facts
- Dates of battle
- 21–23 August 1169
- Fatimid troop strength
- ~50,000 black African soldiers
- Surrender location
- Bab Zuwayla gate, Cairo
- Fatimid dynasty ended
- September 1171
- Successor dynasty founded
- Ayyubid dynasty under Saladin
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Saladin's rise as Fatimid vizier and his reliance on Kurdish and Turkish Syrian troops alienated traditional Fatimid military elites. The execution of palace majordomo Mu'tamin al-Khilafa on 20 August 1169, accused of conspiring with the Crusaders against Saladin, directly triggered the uprising of the black African regiments.
On 21–23 August 1169, around 50,000 black African Fatimid soldiers, joined by Armenian troops and Cairo civilians, attacked the vizier's palace before being driven back. Saladin turned the tide by having their settlements south of Cairo burned, causing a rout. The survivors surrendered near Bab Zuwayla and were allowed to cross to Giza, where they were massacred by Saladin's brother Turan-Shah.
The destruction of the Fatimid army's core ended the dynasty's military power and consolidated Saladin's de facto rule over Egypt. This led directly to the formal abolition of Fatimid Ismaili Shia rule and the restoration of Sunni authority in September 1171, after which Saladin founded the Ayyubid dynasty. Surviving Fatimid troops fled to Upper Egypt and participated in failed uprisings in subsequent years.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Saladin, Turan-Shah.
Side B
1 belligerent
Mu'tamin al-Khilafa (executed before battle).