Sahib Alsayaara" in Egypt during Fatimids Era (358-567H/969-1171AD) A historical-constructive study

 This study aims to examine the office of Sahib al-Sayara in Egypt during the Fatimid period from a structural perspective, based on scattered references found in historical sources and documents. The research begins by investigating the linguistic and historical roots of this official title, while testing the validity of the hypothesis that it may have existed in Islamic administrative institutions prior to the Fatimid era.
The study further explores the nature of the duties and authorities associated with this important military position, analyzing the factors that contributed to its emergence within the administrative framework of the Fatimid state. It also presents historical evidence indicating early precedents of this office during the Tulunid period, albeit under different designations, and traces its evolution and the continuity of its core functions throughout the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, despite changes in nomenclature.
Through analyzing texts from documents and historical sources, the research outlines the administrative subdivisions of this office and explains its geographically limited presence in the cities and villages of the Nile Delta, known at the time as Asfal al-Ard (“Lower Egypt”). The study concludes that this office held a prominent military rank during the Fatimid era, ranking third in importance after the positions of army commander and vizier.
The research also demonstrates the continuity of the office’s main functions beyond the fall of the Fatimid state, albeit under new titles, as confirmed by al-Maqrizi, who noted the persistence of the office and its roles in his own time. These findings highlight the depth of the Fatimid state’s administrative and military organization, as well as the lasting influence of its institutions in subsequent periods, despite political changes.