AHC/WI: Ancient-Egyptophile Islamic Egypt

I think generating a few native dynasties, rather than Egypt constantly being ruled by Arabs/Turks/Circassians/Albanians might be a nudge in the right direction, post Islamic conquest.

After all, a native dynasty, however it seizes power, will have to do something to legitimate itself. I'd say descent from the builders of the local pyramids - paganism notwithstanding - would help that.

I don't know, but I assume that Medieval Islam had something similar to Dante's concept of "virtuous Pagans." Especially since Medieval Islamic scientists were studying many of the same Greek philosophers that Dante was referring to. Perhaps the history of Pharaonic Egypt could be somehow co-opted with, and legitimized by Ptolemaic Egypt's connection to the Greeks. I dunno. It's complicated talking about creating an alternate identity in medieval North Africa, but it could be done. I agree that for that kind of cultural recreation on a large scale you would need some kind of native rulers.
 
But how would it seize power?

A powerful native born convert noble takes power in some kind of civil war, the pre crusade Fatmids where at their absolute weakest and if a native managed taking it it he could probably have held onto power.
 
A powerful native born convert noble takes power in some kind of civil war, the pre crusade Fatmids where at their absolute weakest and if a native managed taking it it he could probably have held onto power.

What makes them reverse the Arabization of Egypt? In Spain, there were plenty of native dynasties made up from the local Iberian population as well as that of the Berbers but they quickly assimilated and intermarried with the Arabic political and military elite that they identified as such eventually. Plus Coptic, as a form of the native Egyptian language, had none of the cultural prestige that Greek enjoyed in Egypt since the Ptolemaic era.
 
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