1492 Surrender of Granada. Abu Abdallah is pensioned, and returns to Africa. End of Mohammedan dominion in Spain. THE FATIMITE DYNASTY OF EGYPT (908-1171 A.D.) Fatimites claim descent from Mohammed through his daughter Fatima wife of Ali, although their title to this claim is disputed. First to claim power is 908 =Obaid Allah=, a pontiff of the Ismailian sect, who is proclaimed Al-Mahdi. Displaces Aglabites in Kairwan. Makes his capital at Mahdiya, on the coast, to be safe from Berbers and to establish strong sea power. Fatimites oppose Aglabite emirs in Sicily. 916 Fatimite and Aglabite contentions in Sicily enable Latins and Italians, in alliance with Byzantines, to drive Saracens out of Italy. 917 Akhmed, Aglabite emir of Sicily, defeated at sea. Fatimites control Sicily. They attack Liguria, and take Genoa; attack Omayyads by sea--also come in contact with Omayyads on land. 924 Fatimites conquer Fez, capital of Edrisites. Northern Africa, with exception of Egypt, under Fatimite rule; Omayyads kept out during life-time of Obaid Allah. When Fatimite capital is removed to Cairo, Jusuf b. Zairi is left as governor in this region. His descendants become independent, and rule until displaced by Almoravids. 936 Death of Obaid Allah, succeeded by his son =Abul-Kasim=, who had conquered Alexandria in 919, but was soon driven out again. 945 =Al-Mansur= succeeds his father Abul-Kasim; makes friends with Arabian Shiites in Hedjaz and Yemen. 953 =Muiz ad-Din= succeeds Al-Mansur. 969 Sends army under Jauhar against Egypt; enters Fostat. Becomes first Fatimite caliph in Egypt. Hedjaz and Yemen acknowledge his supremacy. Syria also added to his dominions. 972 Fatimites found New Cairo. Great mosque Al-Azhar built, university of Egypt, still filled with students from all parts of the Mohammedan world. Soon after, Fatimite fleet meets Byzantine off Damascus, but no battle is fought. 973 Caliph sends embassy to Otto the Great. Egypt invaded by Hassan, who is defeated. 975 Death of Muiz, succeeded by his son =Al-Aziz=. Jaufar sent against Iftikir, Turkish chief in Damascus; is defeated, but Iftikir afterwards conquered by Aziz at Ramla. 981 Fatimites take Damascus. 982 Battle between Fatimites and Otto II in Calabria. Emperor defeated. 996 Death of Aziz, succeeded by his son =Al-Hakim=. 1006 Hisham, an Omayyad prince of Spain, invades Egypt; at first successful, afterwards captured and put to death by caliph. 1010 Hakim destroys Christian churches in Syria. Founds sect of Druses. Is murdered by his sister, who becomes regent, in 1021 for his son =Dhahir=. Dhahir makes treaty with Byzantine Romanus Argyrus, permitting him to rebuild church in Jerusalem. From Dhahir’s reign dates decline of Fatimite power in Syria.