Selections from Subh al-A'sha by al-Qalqashandi, Clerk of the Mamluk Court

Subh al-A‘sha by al-Qalqashandi is a chancery clerk manual and a vital source of information on Fatimid and Mamluk Egypt which, for the first time, has been translated into English. The text provides valuable insight into the Mamluk and earlier Muslim eras. The selections presented in this volume describe Cairo, Fustat and the Citadel and gives a detailed picture of the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk court customs, rituals and protocol, and depicts how the Mamluk Sultanate was ruled. The introduction contextualises the translation, while detailed notes elaborate on the content of the source material. This translation will be a valuable resource students of medieval Islamic history.