by Arabic
writers. Cf. Koran xii. 55, _Jacut_, IV, 933 and _Makrizi_,
I, 241.]

[Footnote 183:'Mr. Israel Abrahams, in _J. Q.R._, XVII, 427
sqq., and Mr. E.J. Worman, vol. XVIII, 1, give us very
interesting information respecting Fostat and Cairo, as
derived from Geniza documents, but to comprehend fully
Benjamin's account, we must remember that at the time of his
visit the metropolis was passing through a crisis. Since
March, 1169, Saladin had virtually become the ruler of
Egypt, although nominally he acted as Vizier to the Caliph
El-Adid, who was the last of the Fatimite line, and who died
Sept. 13, 1171, three days after his deposition. The student
is referred to the biography of Saladin by Mr. Stanley Lane
Poole, 1878. Chap, viii gives a full account of Cairo as at
1170 and is accompanied by a map. The well-known citadel of
Cairo, standing on the spurs of the Mukattam Hills, was
erected by Saladin seven years later. The Cairo of 1170,
which was styled El Medina, and was called by Benjamin
[Hebrew:], was founded in 969, and consisted of an immense
palace for the Caliph and his large household. It was
surrounded by quarters for a large army, and edifices for
the ministers and government offices. The whole was
protected by massive walls and imposing Norman-like gates.
The civil population--more particularly the Jews--dwelt in
the old Kasr-esh-Shama quarter round the so-called Castle of
Babylon, also in the city of Fostat, founded in 641, and in
the El-Askar quarter, which was built in 751. These suburbs
went under the name of Misr or Masr, but are called by
Benjamin "Mizraim." Fostat was set on fire on Nov. 12, 1168,
by the order of the Vizier Shawar, in order that it might
not give shelter to the Franks who had invaded Egypt, but
was soon rebuilt in part. It now goes under the name
Masr-el-Atika, and is noted at the present day for its
immense rubbish heaps. See Stanley Lane Poole's _Cairo_, p.
34.]

[Footnote 184: Cf. two elaborate papers by Dr. A. Buechler,
"The Reading of the Law and Prophets in a Triennial Cycle,"
_J. Q.R._, V, 420, VI, I, and E.N. Adler, ib. VIII, 529.
For details as to synagogues, see _J. Q.R._, XVIII, 11;
Letter I of R. Obadja da Bertinoro; _Miscellany of Hebrew
Literature_, p. 133; Jose