Al-Fustat, the original Arab capital of Egypt, was founded in A.D. 642 (A.H.21) around the Roman–Byzantine fortified town of Babylon in what is now Old Cairo. Early records and modern archaeological excavations of the site of al-Fustat have been of great interest to scholars investigating the life and development of medieval Arab cities as well as to those studying the organization and growth of early Arab Egypt. In this comprehensive study, first published by the AUC Press in 1987, Dr. Kubiak synthesizes the evidence from both medieval documentary and narrative sources and twentieth century archaeology to present a detailed history of al-Fustat. In it he traces and examines the geography of the site; the pre-Islamic settlements; the foundation and early development of the city and its demographic and territorial evolution; and the topography of the city and its architecture. Click here to download the free PDF.
Al-Fustat
Its Foundation and Early Urban Development
Al-Fustat, the original Arab capital of Egypt, was founded in A.D. 642 (A.H.21) around the Roman–Byzantine fortified town of Babylon in what is now
Wladyslaw B. Kubiak earned his PhD in Islamic history at the University of Krakow. He was associate director of the Warsaw University Center for Mediterranean Studies in Cairo and director of the Institute of Developing Countries at Warsaw University. He excavated at Kom al-Dikka in Alexandria, at Faras in Nubia, and at al-Fustat in Cairo.
