AlMuizz

Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, commonly referred to as Al-Mu'izz, was the fourth Fatimid caliph of the Ismaili branch, ruling the Fatimid Caliphate from 953 to 975 CE. A son of Al-Mansur bi-Nasr, he continued the consolidation and expansion of Fatimid authority across Ifriqiya (roughly modern Tunisia and eastern Algeria) and into Egypt.

During his reign the Fatimid state reached its greatest territorial extent in the western Mediterranean, with strengthened administration, military organization, and support for Ismaili religious institutions and scholarship. His leadership helped unify diverse provinces under Fatimid rule and maintained the caliphate’s centralized authority.

A defining achievement of Al-Mu'izz's era was the conquest of Egypt. In 969 his general Jawhar al-Siqilli led Fatimid forces south from Ifriqiya, capturing Fustat and establishing Fatimid control over the region. The campaign culminated in the founding of Cairo, known in Arabic as al-Qahira (The Victorious), which became the capital of the Fatimid Caliphate. The city grew from this foundation, and under Al-Mu'izz’s policy the Fatimids initiated major architectural and institutional projects in Egypt, including the establishment of the Al-Azhar Mosque in 970.

His reign also saw centralization of the state’s chancery, promotion of Ismaili doctrine, and coinage bearing the caliph’s titulature. The period is often regarded as the height of Fatimid political power in North Africa and the Levant, with Egypt playing a central role in subsequent Fatimid history.

Al-Mu'izz died in 975 and was succeeded by his son, Al-Aziz Billah. His leadership shifted the center of Fatimid power toward Egypt and laid the groundwork for the caliphate’s future developments.