Amr ibn al-As (?-663) was the Arab conqueror of Egypt during the first rapid phase of the expansion of Islam. He was a member of the Prophet Muhammad’s own tribe, Quraysh. Amr became a Muslim about 630. He was entrusted with the task of converting the rulers of Oman to Islam, which he did successfully. He played a leading part in the conquest of Palestine. From 640 to 642, Amr defeated large Byzantine forces and seized Egypt. He founded a garrison city at al-Fustat near the future site of Cairo. In 657, Mu`awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, governor of Syria, disputed the title of caliph (successor to the Prophet as leader of the Muslims) with Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law. Amr sided with Mu`awiyah. When Mu`awiyah founded the Umayyad caliphate in 661, Amr was rewarded with the governorship of Egypt. The mosque Amr built at al-Fustat was the earliest Islamic building in Egypt.
