The Dar al-Hikma of Cairo
دار الحكمة بالقاهرة
The Dar al-Hikma of Cairo, founded by the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 395 — the most famous of the Fatimid 'madaris al-hikma' through which the Ismaili da'wa spread its doctrines among its adherents. The institution began with the da'wa-schools al-Mahdi Ubayd Allah opened at Mahdiyya, flourished at Mansuriyya under al-Mansur, then at Cairo from al-Mu'izz's reign, reaching the chief 'islands' of the da'wa beyond Egypt. Attached to it was the Dar al-Ilm library holding many works for reading and copying; the vizier al-Afdal closed it and the caliph al-Amir reopened it.
At a glance
- Era
- The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era · The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Egypt & Nile
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
Overview
The Dar al-Hikma in Cairo was founded by the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 395 AH. It was the most famous of the centres of wisdom through which the Ismaili mission spread its teachings among its followers. 1
Fatimid centres of wisdom
Centres of the mission began at al-Mahdiyya under Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi, then spread at al-Mansuriyya, and then in Cairo from the time of al-Mu'izz. They were not limited to Cairo, but extended to the main provinces and islands of the mission. They were among the institutions of the Fatimid state. 2
The Dar al-Ilm library
It was linked to the library of Dar al-Ilm, which held many books for reading and copying. The vizier al-Afdal closed it, and the caliph al-Amir later restored it. 3
Connections
- Located in
- Cairo
- Founded by
- الحاكم بأمر الله منصور بن العزيز
- Related to
- Fatimid Caliphate
People and things also explored
Al-Azhar Mosque· The Fatimid saddle treasury· Da'i al-Du'at — the chief missionary· دار العلم بالقاهرة· هدم الحاكم كنيسة القيامة وكنائس مصر· The battle of the Sudan between the two palaces· Sultan al-Zahir Jaqmaq· Sultan Qansuh al-Ghawri
Sources
- Tarikh al-Islam — Hasan Ibrahim Hasan, p. 405
- Tarikh al-Islam — Hasan Ibrahim Hasan, p. 409
- Tarikh al-Islam — Hasan Ibrahim Hasan
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Dar al-Hikma of Cairo”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/building/dar-al-hikma-cairo/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.