The Fatimids in Conversation: Power, Culture and Legacy
This event will be held at the Aga Khan Centre and streamed via Zoom between 17:00-18:30 GMT.
Join us for a special hybrid event exploring the power, culture and enduring legacy of the Fatimid dynasty (909–1171). To be held at the Aga Khan Centre, London, and online, this conversation will bring together two leading scholars to reflect on new research into one of the most dynamic periods of medieval Islamic history.
The Fatimids established a vast empire which at its height stretched across North Africa to Egypt, Syria, the Red Sea and beyond, establishing Cairo as a major cultural and intellectual centre. As the only Isma‘ili Shi‘i dynasty to create a long-lasting caliphate, their political vision and cultural achievements continue to shape historical and contemporary discussions.
In this event, Dr Delia Cortese, author of The Fatimids: Portrait of a Dynasty (Reaktion Books, 2025), and Dr Shainool Jiwa , a specialist in Fatimid studies, an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), and author of the two-volume The Fatimids (Bloomsbury, 2017; 2023), will reflect on their research and offer complementary perspectives on Fatimid history. The conversation will explore political authority, cultural life, religious thought, and the dynasty’s lasting significance.
The discussion will be chaired by Dr Farhad Daftary, Governor and Director Emeritus at IIS. The event will open with institutional remarks from IIS Director, Professor Zayn Kassam and Head of Aga Khan Library, Professor Walid Ghali.
Associate Professor
Dr Shainool Jiwa is a specialist in Fatimid studies, and an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Dr Jiwa’s publication, The Fatimids 2: The Rule from Egypt (2023), is a World of Islam series title, for which she also serves as the series General Editor. She is the author of The Fatimids: The Rise of a Muslim Empire (2018), and co-editor of The Shi‘i World: Pathways in Tradition and Modernity (2015), The Fatimid Caliphate: Diversity of Traditions (2017) and Fatimid Cosmopolitanism: History, Material Culture, Politics and Religion (2025).
Dr Jiwa has edited and translated key medieval Arabic texts relating to Fatimid history, including Towards a Shi‘i Mediterranean Empire (2009) and The Founder of Cairo (2013). She has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in Islamic Studies from McGill University, a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, leading to a fellowship in the Higher Education Academy.
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Delia Cortese (PhD SOAS, University of London), is Senior Research Fellow at Middlesex University. She is a specialist in medieval Ismailism and codicology. Besides The Fatimids: Portrait of a Dynasty, Reaktion Books: 2025, her books include Women and the Fatimids in the World of Islam (with S. Calderini), EUP: 2006. Her research also includes important work on Ismaili texts and traditions, notably Ismaili and Other Arabic Manuscripts: A Descriptive Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Library of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (I.B. Tauris, 2000).
Governor and Director Emeritus
An authority in Shi’i studies, with special reference to its Ismaili tradition, Dr. Daftary has published and lectured widely in these fields of Islamic studies.
In 2011 a Festschrift entitled Fortresses of the Intellect was produced to honour Dr. Daftary by a number of his colleagues and peers. As well as serving on various editorial boards, Dr. Daftary is a consulting editor of the Encyclopaedia Iranica (for Ismailism), co-editor (with W. Madelung) of the Encyclopaedia Islamica, and general editor of the “Ismaili Heritage Series”, the “Ismaili Texts and Translations Series” and the “Shi’i Heritage Series”.
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. To be held at the Aga Khan Centre, London, and online, this conversation will bring together two leading scholars to reflect on new research into one of the most dynamic periods of medieval Islamic history.The Fatimids established a vast empire which at its height stretched across North Africa to Egypt, Syria, the Red Sea and beyond, establishing Cairo as a major cultural and intellectual centre. As the only Isma‘ili Shi‘i dynasty to create a long-lasting caliphate, their political vision and cultural achievements continue to shape historical and contemporary discussions.In this event, Dr Delia Cortese, author of The Fatimids: Portrait of a Dynasty (Reaktion Books, 2025), and Dr Shainool Jiwa , a specialist in Fatimid studies, an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), and author of the two-volume The Fatimids (Bloomsbury, 2017; 2023), will reflect on their research and offer complementary perspectives on Fatimid history. The conversation will explore political authority, cultural life, religious thought, and the dynasty’s lasting significance.The discussion will be chaired by Dr Farhad Daftary, Governor and Director Emeritus at IIS. The event will open with institutional remarks from IIS Director, Professor Zayn Kassam and Head of Aga Khan Library, Professor Walid Ghali.SpeakersDr Shainool JiwaAssociate ProfessorDr Shainool Jiwa is a specialist in Fatimid studies, and an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Dr Jiwa’s publication, The Fatimids 2: The Rule from Egypt (2023), is a World of Islam series title, for which she also serves as the series General Editor. She is the author of The Fatimids: The Rise of a Muslim Empire (2018), and co-editor of The Shi‘i World: Pathways in Tradition and Modernity (2015), The Fatimid Caliphate: Diversity of Traditions (2017) and Fatimid Cosmopolitanism: History, Material Culture, Politics and Religion (2025). Dr Jiwa has edited and translated key medieval Arabic texts relating to Fatimid history, including Towards a Shi‘i Mediterranean Empire (2009) and The Founder of Cairo (2013). She has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in Islamic Studies from McGill University, a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, leading to a fellowship in the Higher Education Academy.Dr Delia CorteseSenior Research FellowDr Delia Cortese (PhD SOAS, University of London), is Senior Research Fellow at Middlesex University. She is a specialist in medieval Ismailism and codicology. Besides The Fatimids: Portrait of a Dynasty, Reaktion Books: 2025, her books include Women and the Fatimids in the World of Islam (with S. Calderini), EUP: 2006. Her research also includes important work on Ismaili texts and traditions, notably Ismaili and Other Arabic Manuscripts: A Descriptive Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Library of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (I.B. Tauris, 2000).ModeratorDr Farhad DaftaryGovernor and Director EmeritusAn authority in Shi’i studies, with special reference to its Ismaili tradition, Dr. Daftary has published and lectured widely in these fields of Islamic studies.In 2011 a Festschrift entitled Fortresses of the Intellect was produced to honour Dr. Daftary by a number of his colleagues and peers. As well as serving on various editorial boards, Dr. Daftary is a consulting editor of the Encyclopaedia Iranica (for Ismailism), co-editor (with W. Madelung) of the Encyclopaedia Islamica, and general editor of the “Ismaili Heritage Series”, the “Ismaili Texts and Translations Series” and the “Shi’i Heritage Series”.&source=https://dmluoj0wft2i7.cloudfront.net/thumbnails/media_slide_16x9/cdn/images/6970c91ddbfac.jpg "LinkedIn")
. To be held at the Aga Khan Centre, London, and online, this conversation will bring together two leading scholars to reflect on new research into one of the most dynamic periods of medieval Islamic history.The Fatimids established a vast empire which at its height stretched across North Africa to Egypt, Syria, the Red Sea and beyond, establishing Cairo as a major cultural and intellectual centre. As the only Isma‘ili Shi‘i dynasty to create a long-lasting caliphate, their political vision and cultural achievements continue to shape historical and contemporary discussions.In this event, Dr Delia Cortese, author of The Fatimids: Portrait of a Dynasty (Reaktion Books, 2025), and Dr Shainool Jiwa , a specialist in Fatimid studies, an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS), and author of the two-volume The Fatimids (Bloomsbury, 2017; 2023), will reflect on their research and offer complementary perspectives on Fatimid history. The conversation will explore political authority, cultural life, religious thought, and the dynasty’s lasting significance.The discussion will be chaired by Dr Farhad Daftary, Governor and Director Emeritus at IIS. The event will open with institutional remarks from IIS Director, Professor Zayn Kassam and Head of Aga Khan Library, Professor Walid Ghali.SpeakersDr Shainool JiwaAssociate ProfessorDr Shainool Jiwa is a specialist in Fatimid studies, and an Associate Professor at The Institute of Ismaili Studies. Dr Jiwa’s publication, The Fatimids 2: The Rule from Egypt (2023), is a World of Islam series title, for which she also serves as the series General Editor. She is the author of The Fatimids: The Rise of a Muslim Empire (2018), and co-editor of The Shi‘i World: Pathways in Tradition and Modernity (2015), The Fatimid Caliphate: Diversity of Traditions (2017) and Fatimid Cosmopolitanism: History, Material Culture, Politics and Religion (2025). Dr Jiwa has edited and translated key medieval Arabic texts relating to Fatimid history, including Towards a Shi‘i Mediterranean Empire (2009) and The Founder of Cairo (2013). She has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in Islamic Studies from McGill University, a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, leading to a fellowship in the Higher Education Academy.Dr Delia CorteseSenior Research FellowDr Delia Cortese (PhD SOAS, University of London), is Senior Research Fellow at Middlesex University. She is a specialist in medieval Ismailism and codicology. Besides The Fatimids: Portrait of a Dynasty, Reaktion Books: 2025, her books include Women and the Fatimids in the World of Islam (with S. Calderini), EUP: 2006. Her research also includes important work on Ismaili texts and traditions, notably Ismaili and Other Arabic Manuscripts: A Descriptive Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Library of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (I.B. Tauris, 2000).ModeratorDr Farhad DaftaryGovernor and Director EmeritusAn authority in Shi’i studies, with special reference to its Ismaili tradition, Dr. Daftary has published and lectured widely in these fields of Islamic studies.In 2011 a Festschrift entitled Fortresses of the Intellect was produced to honour Dr. Daftary by a number of his colleagues and peers. As well as serving on various editorial boards, Dr. Daftary is a consulting editor of the Encyclopaedia Iranica (for Ismailism), co-editor (with W. Madelung) of the Encyclopaedia Islamica, and general editor of the “Ismaili Heritage Series”, the “Ismaili Texts and Translations Series” and the “Shi’i Heritage Series”. "Facebook")