قيام الخلافة العباسية بالقاهرة
قيام الخلافة العباسية بالقاهرة
c. June 1261 CE · 13 Rajab 659 AH
Ahmad ibn al-Zahir — freed from Baghdad's prison when the Tatars took it — came to Baybars in Rajab 659 with ten of Banu Maharish; the sultan rode out to meet him, his line was proven before chief qadi Taj al-Din ibn Bint al-A'azz, and the bay'a ran: the sultan first, then the qadi, then Shaykh Izz al-Din ibn Abd al-Salam, then the great by rank, on 13 Rajab. His name went on the coinage, he preached in black at the citadel mosque, robed the sultan with his own hands before the Cairo tent, and was granted an atabeg, ustadar, sharabi, khazindar, hajib and katib with a hundred horses. The caliphate's gap had lasted three and a half years; al-Dhahabi notes none after his uncle's son took it save him and al-Muqtafi 1.
At a glance
- Era
- The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
- Region
- Egypt & Nile
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
On 13 Rajab 659 AH Ahmad ibn al-Zahir was given the oath in Cairo as Abbasid caliph, after he had come to the sultan al-Zahir Baybars. 2
His arrival and the proof of his lineage
He had been imprisoned in Baghdad, and was released when the Tatars took it, and he took refuge with the Arabs of Iraq. He came to Baybars with ten men of Banu Muhariish, and the sultan rode out to meet him. His lineage was established before the chief judge Taj al-Din ibn Bint al-A'azz. 2
The oath
The sultan gave him the oath first, then the judge, then [[person/izz-al-din-ibn-abd-al-salam|Izz al-Din ibn Abd al-Salam], then the great men by rank. His name was struck on the coinage and the sermon was given in his name, and he took the title of his brother al-Mustansir. The caliph invested the sultan with the robe of honour and the decree of appointment was read. al-Suyuti says that the interruption of the caliphate lasted three years and a half. 2
Ibn al-Imad relates that people of all kinds, Muslims, Jews and Christians, came out to receive him, and he entered by the Gate of Victory on a day of great gathering. 3
See also al-Mustansir bi-Llah.
Connections
People and things also explored
خروج المستنصر إلى العراق وفقدانه· وقعة عين جالوت وهزيمة التتار· فتح النوبة وأسر ملك دنقلة· قتل المظفر قطز وسلطنة بيبرس· Al-Zahir Baybars· الإمام في أدلة الأحكام· المستنصر بالله الثاني أحمد بن الظاهر· السلطان الظاهر ركن الدين بيبرس البندقداري
Sources
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition), p. 723-724
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition), p.723-724
- Shadharat al-Dhahab — Ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali, p.296
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “قيام الخلافة العباسية بالقاهرة”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/cairo-caliphate-baya-659/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.