Key Facts
- Date
- 21–23 August 1169
- Fatimid troop strength
- ~50,000 black African soldiers
- Duration of clashes
- 2 days
- Aftermath
- Fatimid dynasty deposed September 1171
- Successor dynasty
- Ayyubid dynasty founded by Saladin
Strategic Narrative Overview
Some 50,000 black African troops, joined by Armenian soldiers and Cairo's populace, attacked the vizier's palace on 21 August but were driven back to the square between the Fatimid Great Palaces. Initially gaining ground, they were undermined when caliph al-Adid publicly opposed them. Saladin's order to burn their settlements south of the city, where their families remained, broke their resolve. They retreated south and were encircled near the Bab Zuwayla gate, where they surrendered.
01 / The Origins
Saladin's appointment as Fatimid vizier and his reliance on Kurdish and Turkish Syrian cavalry sidelined the traditional Fatimid military establishment, particularly its black African regiments. The Fatimid caliph al-Adid was increasingly marginalised. Tensions peaked when the palace majordomo, Mu'tamin al-Khilafa, was accused of conspiring with the Crusaders to remove Saladin; Saladin had him executed on 20 August 1169, triggering an open uprising by the Fatimid forces.
03 / The Outcome
The surrendered troops were permitted to cross the Nile to Giza but were subsequently attacked and nearly annihilated by Saladin's brother Turan-Shah, despite promises of safety. The battle eliminated the principal military pillar of Fatimid power. Surviving soldiers either served briefly under Saladin or fled to Upper Egypt, joining failed pro-Fatimid revolts. The Fatimid caliphate was formally abolished in September 1171, and Saladin established the Ayyubid dynasty in its place.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Saladin, Turan-Shah.
Side B
1 belligerent
Mu'tamin al-Khilafa.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.