Selected pages.. The bright stars of the kings of Egypt and Cairo

These selections offer a valuable historical window into a pivotal period in Islamic Egypt's history, specifically the era of the Mamluk sultans. Considered one of the most important literary and historical encyclopedias, this book takes the reader on a journey from the conquest of Egypt by Amr ibn al-As in 20 AH (640 AD), through minute details of the political, social, and economic eras that shaped Egypt's cultural identity, all the way to the middle of the ninth century AH.
Ibn Taghribirdi excelled in documenting the lives of kings and sultans and the events of their reigns. He was also keen to document natural phenomena and their impact on the lives of Egyptians, particularly the flow of the Nile, which constituted the cornerstone of the economy and agriculture. The book caught the attention of Sultan Selim I after his conquest of Egypt, who ordered its translation into Turkish. These selected pages are distinguished by their adherence to the original chronological order and their comprehensive representation of the historical periods chronicled by Ibn Taghribirdi, with a focus on pivotal events that influenced the history of Egypt and the entire region. They open up broad horizons for understanding the complexities of the Mamluk era and its influences that extend to the present day.