Mısır

Mısır is a region located in Kuzey Afrika, which held a central position in Kürt history during the Islamic period —especially during and after the Eyyûbî period—. It stands out as both a political center of power and a center of science and culture where scholars and historians who contributed to Kürt history were trained.

Islamic Conquest

Mısır's entry into Islamic rule dates back to the early conquest period. The conquest campaign launched towards Irak and Suriye during the period of Hz. Ebubekir was completed with the taking of Suriye, el-Cezîre, and Mısır from the Bizans İmparatorluğu during the caliphate of Hz. Ömer (634-644) (Cilt 1, s. 87).

Eyyûbî Period

The region's strongest connection with Kürt history is established through the Eyyûbî Devleti. The Eyyûbî Devleti, whose foundations were laid by Selâhaddîn Yûsuf b. Necmeddîn Eyyûb b. Şâdî, brought a significant portion of Hicaz, Yemen, Suriye, Filistin, Kuzey Afrika, and el-Cezîre under its rule shortly after seizing power in Mısır in 564/1169. The territories of the state, established at a time when the Franks threatened the Doğu, became the primary target of the Üçüncü, Beşinci, Altıncı, and Yedinci Haçlı seferleri; the dynasty, which waged an extraordinary struggle to stop the Crusaders, established a powerful civilization by patronizing scholars and cultural activities despite the exhausting war conditions (Cilt 1, s. 151).

Under Eyyûbî rule, Mısır became a center where important bureaucrats, scribes, and scholars of the period gathered. Kâdî el-Fâzıl, one of the most influential bureaucrats and intellectuals of the Selâhaddîn period, stayed in Mısır in 1189-90 to control the financial administration and reorganize the army and navy (Cilt 1, s. 156); his work, which recorded his activities in the Mısır dîvans and economic developments in the form of diaries, is among the primary sources for the Selâhaddîn period (Cilt 1, s. 157). Üsâme b. Münkız returned to Dımaşk after staying in Mısır for ten years and entered the service of Nûreddîn Mahmûd Zengî (Cilt 1, s. 153). Abdüllatîf el-Bağdâdî also went to Mısır in 1195 with the retinue of Selâhaddîn's son el-Melikü'l-Azîz and made good use of his time there by meeting with leading scholars of the period (Cilt 1, s. 164). His work, el-İfâde ve'l-İ'tibâr, is an important source for the cultural history of Mısır during the Eyyûbîler period, especially the Selâhaddîn period; the work states that Emîr Karakuş, one of Selâhaddîn's commanders, had numerous small pyramids demolished, and their stones were used to build the city walls of Kahire and Fustat and the Kahire Kalesi (Cilt 1, s. 165). The Andalusian traveler İbn Cübeyr also spent the last years of his life in Mısır and passed away in İskenderiye in 614/1217 (Cilt 1, s. 162).

A Center of Learning

Mısır was a center of learning where many scholars and historians who contributed to Kürt history lived. İbn Haldûn spent the last twenty-four years of his life in Kahire and passed away there on 26 Ramazan 808 (17 March 1406) (Cilt 1, s. 126). Belazurî's grandfather served as a scribe in Mısır during the time of Hârûnürreşîd (Cilt 1, s. 89).

Ancient Sources

In ancient times, Mısır was also home to geographers and thinkers who provided information about the region. The famous geographer Claudius Ptolemy (Batlamyus, MS 90-168) was born in Mısır in MS 90 (Cilt 1, s. 34). The Bizans period historian Theophylact Simocatta is also believed to have been of Mısır origin and to have received legal and philosophical education in İskenderiye during his childhood (Cilt 1, s. 40).