The Arab conquest of Egypt (639-641) spun Egypt out of the orbit of Constantinople and the Byzantine empire. With the Ottoman seizure of power in 1517, Egypt was once more the appanage of Constantinople (henceforth Istanbul). “Medieval Egypt” therefore covers the period of Egypt’s rise to political preeminence in its own right, with Cairo being for two centuries the seat of the third Islamic caliphate. No longer imperial province, Egypt became a center and crossroads for commerce, for the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish ‘Peoples of the Book’, for scholarship and learning, for nomadic Bedouin, Nile villagers, and cosmopolitan Cairenes, as well as for Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Turks, and Sudanese. This course will proceed chronologically, addressing the achievements and challenges of the major dynasties, with special focus on how persons and communities found their place in the cultural and religious mosaic of the region. Topics for investigation and discussion will include : the institutional forms of political governance, the relations between faith communities, the communicative intent of the arts and architecture in a society of different faiths and cultures, and education and learning under medieval Egypt’s Shi’ite and Sunni dynasties. Readings will include both secondary texts and primary sources.

Course Requirements:

Participation in class discussions, quizzes, three written assignments (approx. 3 pages) based on the readings, a research project combining visual and written parts (3- 5 pages), and a take-home final examination.

Intended Audience:

All are welcome, though students should have familiarity with the reading and analysis of historical sources. Prior coursework in African or Middle Eastern history is not a pre-requisite.

Class Format:

A combination of lecture and discussion, based on close readings of assigned sources. Instruction is remote and synchronous. Enrolled students are expected to be available remotely during scheduled class times. Course is open to remote-only students.