Sultana of Cairo

A child with emerald eyes, kidnapped from the Caucasian steppes, was sold into slavery to live as a concubine in the harem of the Emir of Baghdad. She radiated passion and allure. A woman who led the Egyptian army amidst the chaos, displaying her innocence and bravery, and triumphed over the mighty French King Louis IX. A nation that left a sultana over Egypt, who ascended the throne and consolidated her rule, the Mamluks of Egypt... This was Shajar al-Durr, who knew no fear and was fearless. But... "A people who entrust their affairs to a woman will never prosper." The woman had to find shelter with a husband: Aybak, the Mamluk army commander, to whom she had fallen in love. She surrendered her heart and the reins of power to him, managing the affairs of the sultanate with unparalleled wisdom. A woman of glory. A nation that shook off its oppression with its own hands, adorned itself with laurel, warmth, and jewels, and turned eastward. A woman of pride, she faced the betrayals and conspiracies woven within and beyond the palace walls with the shrewdness of a woman. The greatness of a woman, the greatness of the East and its treasures—this is what Dima Daroubi celebrates as she recounts the historical events and the establishment of the kingdom, in a text brimming with admiration and lyricism. You are a tale from One Thousand and One Nights... a girl with emerald eyes, kidnapped from the deserts of the Caucasus, sold into slavery to live as a servant in the harem of the Emir of Baghdad. She was enchanting, radiating passion and allure. A woman who led the Egyptian army and defeated the great French King Louis IX with boldness and skill. A queen who ruled Egypt and Syria, ascended the throne of the Sultanate, and consolidated the Mamluks' control over Egypt... She is the "Pearl Tree," fearless of anything and anyone. But... "A nation cannot prosper under the leadership of a woman." She chose to share power with her husband: Aybak, the commander of the Mamluk army, with whom she had fallen in love. She continued to rule the Sultanate with unparalleled wisdom and glory, liberating her homeland and adorning it with pride, freedom, and the riches of the East. She skillfully thwarted palace betrayals and intrigues, leaving behind an enduring legacy. As Dima Daroubi recounts historical events and verifiable facts, she celebrates the greatness of this woman and the richness of the East in a vivid and poetic narrative, reminiscent of a tale from One Thousand and One Nights.