Factors of Trade Boom in the Fatimid Government and its Consequences on the Decline of Persian Ports (Late 4 th to mid-6 th century AH)

By controlling the routes and taking advantage of them, the strategic position of the Fatimid realm, especially the Red Sea ports, led them to play an active and influential role in the trade process of the Islamic world and beyond and to reach to their goals by earnings of the trade. The Fatimid Caliphate's approach to trade, as a constant and important variable, enabled Egyptian ports to flourish in the Red Sea and at the same time, it had a negative effect on the ports of Persia and caused their gradual decline. The present study uses a descriptive-analytical method to study the reasons for the Fatimids' attention to trade and to find an answer to this question: What are the reasons for the Fatimids' attention to trade? And what effect has this policy had on the ports of Fars province?