Fustat was the first capital of Egypt under muslim rule. It was built by the Muslim general 'Amr ibn al-'As immediately after the Muslim conquest of Egypt in AD 641, and featured the Mosque of Amr, the first mosque built in Egypt and in all of Africa.
The city reached its peak in the 12th century, with a population of approximately 200,000. It was the center of administrative power in Egypt, until it was ordered burned in 1168 by its own vizier, Shawar, to keep its wealth out of the hands of the invadingCrusaders. The remains of the city were eventually absorbed by nearby Cairo, which had been built to the north of Fustat in 969 when the Fatimids conquered the region and created a new city as a royal enclosure for the Caliph. The area fell into disrepair for hundreds of years and was used as a garbage dump.
الفسطاط مدينة حسنة، ينقسم النيل لديها، و هي كبيرة نحو ثلث فرسخ، و مقدارها نحو فرسخ و على غاية من العمارة و الطيبة و اللذة، ذات رحابة في مجالها و اسواق عظام فيها و متاجر فخام، و لها ظاهر انيق و بساتين نضرة، و منتزهات خضرة
ابن هرقل
Ezbet Abu Qarn
