Definition:
Al-Fustat is the name of the first Islamic capital of Egypt, founded shortly after the Islamic Ummayyad conquest of Egypt in 641. Important buildings in al-Fustat included the Mosque of 'Amr, and garrisons for troops split into distinct quarters by the various conquering tribes.
Al-Fustat was also an important center of ceramic industry, with the clans of lustreware potters settling there when the Fatimids over took the Islamic Empire.
Sources
This definition is part of the About.com Guide to the Islamic Civilization.
Behrens-Abouseif, Doris. 1989. Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction. Brill: London.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
