File:Cairo, Jerusalem, and Damascus- (1912) (14596408388).jpg

Identifier: cairojerusalemda01marg (find matches)
Title: Cairo, Jerusalem, and Damascus:
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Margoliouth, David Samuel, 1858-1940. (from old catalog) Tyrwhitt, Walter Spencer-Stanhope, 1859-1932, (from old catalog) illus
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Publisher: New York, Dodd, Mead and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ime was ripe for theconquest of Egypt, and had been rewarded for hisadvice by being made vizier. Having been born inBaghdad in the year 930, he had come to Egypt in942, where he got employment in the office of one ofKafurs ministers; in this capacity he obtained thenotice of Kafur, who promoted him from one officeto another till he became chief treasurer. In 967 heembraced Islam, and took into his house a tutor whocould give him regular instruction in the matterswhich a Moslem gentleman should know. Oncevizier, he followed the example of many who hadpreviously held that high office, in becoming a patronof learning and belles lettres; on Thursday eveningshe regularly held a salon in his house for the recita-tion of his own compositions, and also for reunion ofail the savants of Cairo. The notion, however, of Jacob, son of Killis, inencouraging learning was somewhat deeper than thatwhich had inspired many other viziers. Since theFatimide dynasty had succeeded in virtue of its reli- (66)
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BUILDINGS OF THE FATIMIDE PERIOD gious claims, it was necessary to provide for its main-tenance by a body of literature comparable with thatwhich the supporters of the rival Caliph could dis-play, and which enjoyed widespread respect and au-thority owing to the long séries of venerated namesconcerned with its composition and perpétuation.Thèse authoritative books once provided, and ar-rangements being made whereby their study couldbe encouraged and maintained, no mean dam wouldbe provided against inundation from without. Thebooks therefore he composed himself ; the Universitywas to secure that they should be properly studiedand interpreted. In 988, when the second Fatimide Caliph wasreigning, Jacob Ibn Killis requested his master toprovide a grant for the maintenance of a fixed num-ber of scholars. The Caliph Aziz assented; provi-sions were made for thirty-five students, and a houseadjoining Jauhars Mosque secured for their lodging. Thus began al-Azhar, whose name is thought tohâv

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