As the
Abbasids became preoccupied with revolts in southern Iraq and further east, their attention to what was going on in Egypt grew less focused, and
Ibn Tulun became increasingly autonomous, striking his own
coinage and expanding his territory to include Syria and Palestine. When the
Abbasids tried to rein him in, he banned praying for the
Abbasid caliph at Friday prayers and removed the caliph’s name from the
tiraz textiles. However, this period of independence and control over the region gave Egypt a certain stability and prosperity. Many poets, scientists and artisans gravitated to Fustat. After
Ibn Tulun’s death (270 / 884) his son, two grandsons and brother succeeded him before the
Abbasids were able to regain control of Egypt in 292 / 905.