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Early History
Cairo began at a point that is lower down the river then the current site where it rests today. The first settlement along the nile was probably a neolithic settlement of what is now the modern suburb of Ma'adi.
As Islam was being spread by the Arabs armies across the dessert. In 623 BC Egypt was conquered by the Arabs and in 642B.C, Amr built a military encampment and founded the spot calling it FUSTAT. It is under this name that the city grew in terms of importance. Amr established a tax to push the non muslims out into the city of Babylon. He wanted only muslims to live in his city. The arabs used teh province as a source of revenue.
Many people were pushed upwards toward the Delta. This is how expansion began. The Arabs who lived up their remained separate from the Arabs in the city until in 1168 they joined together for defensive reasons.
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