In his new book “Caliph of Cairo” (AUC Press, 2009), Paul E. Walker, a historian of Medieval Islamic history based at the University of Chicago and former Director of the American Research Center in Egypt, tells the captivating tale of the rise and sudden disappearance of Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, whose erratic rule of the Fatimid Empire from 996 to 1021 left a legacy of unanswered questions.
A controversial character, one night, just as the dynasty reached its peak of power and fortune, Al-Hakim rode through Cairo’s southern gates and was never heard from again. Speculations of murder, or the personal choice to abandon a demanding royal life, were never confirmed; the only thing for certain is that Al-Hakim was never found.
But, according to Walker’s research, the ruler never left the memories of his people. In Islam, the caliphate denotes supreme leadership of the entire Muslim community. All Fatimid caliphs claimed to be descendants of the Prophet Muhammad and Ali B. Abi Talib, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law.
Ismailimail 