Sitt al-Mulk was born in 970 in al-Mansuriya, Ifriqiya, modern day Tunisia to prince Nizar, the future fifth Fatimid imam caliph, Caliph Al-Aziz, and a concubine the future man’s. Legend as it that her mother, identified as al-Sayyida al-Aziziyya (the Lady of al-Aziz) was of Byzantine Greek origin and a Melkite Christian, a favorite of her father. A year prior to her death, the Fatimid armies and conquered Egypt and the court eventually moved into Cairo, their newly built capital. It was here that Sitt al-Mulk was raised at the Qasr al-Bahr palace where she was involved in the politics of palace and wielded great influence over her father. In 996, her father, Caliph Al-Aziz, died unexpectedly while preparing for battle against the Byzantines in northern Syria. The Caliph’s unexpected death set off a succession crisis, between his only surviving son al-Mansur and an adult son of Prince Abdallah who had previously been designated as heir. Al-Mansur, however, was crowned caliph, taking the name al-Hakim, shortly after the death was announced and Sitt al-Mulk was placed on house arrest. Shortly after his reign begin, it descended into terror, with prohibitions on food and signing in public and persecution of Christians and Jews. Sitt al-Mulk was outspoken against her brother’s draconian policies and as a result the siblings drifted apart. The deterioration of their relationship culminated in a disagreement about who would succeed the caliph and a few days later, the Caliph disappeared during one of his nightly walks. A few days later he turned up dead. A variety of interpretations by historians exist, some implicating Sitt al-Mulk directly in the murder while others only finding no evidence of her involvement. After her brother’s disappearance, Sitt al-Mulk took control of the court, eventually appointing his son Ali as the next caliph. The young caliph was mentored by the princes, and under her tutelage she reversed the draconian laws that were set under her brother’s rule, allowing women to leave their homes and permitting the listening of music and the drinking of wine. She also allowed non-Muslims who had been forced to convert to Islam were allowed to return to their old faith. Sitt al-Mulk severely persecuted the Druze religion, who believed in the divinity of her deceased brother al-Hakim but also worked to reduce tensions with the Byzantine Empire. She was in negotiations with the Empire when she died on 5 February 1023 at the age of 52 years old.