have public influence. The noblewomen of this dynasty “commanded a status rarely accorded to court women before them.” Ayyubid princesses often went on processions to Friday prayer, accompanied by servants, and completely obscured from commoners. This was meant to display the righteousness and piety of the women of the court. In 1232 (629), the sultan of Egypt al-Malik went to claim the Anatolian fort of Amida (Diyarbakr). Fatima Khatun, wife of Dayfa Khatun’s son Muhammad accompanied the sultan. Fatima was received by Aleppan dignitaries, one of which was Dayfa Khatun whose warm ceremonious welcome also displayed her gentleness and piety. Regency With the death of her son, Khatun came to play a prominent role. Her grandson An-Nasir Yusuf was only seven years old, so a council of regency was formed, consisting of Shams ad-Din Lu'lu' al-Amini, Izz ad-Din Umar al-Majalli, the vizier Jamal ad-Din al-Qifti and her own slave Jamal ad-Dawla Iqbal az-Zahiri. The latter acted as her secretary and deputy to the regency council. Khatun had the position of regent, which was very unusual in an Islamic dynasty. All decisions of the regency council had to be approved by her, and her signature was affixed to all documents it issued. This was explicitly stated by Ibn Wasil, who recorded that "she had the final say on all state affairs, and she put her alama [insignia] on all documents and correspondance". During her regency Aleppo was threatened from many directions by powerful neighbours, but contemporary writer all attest to her diplomatic skills in keeping Aleppo free from conflict. After her death, Aleppo's diplomatic position was never as strong vis a vis its neighbours as it was under her rule. War and diplomacy The period of her regency coincided with the conflict between her brothers Al-Kamil in Egypt and Al-Ashraf in Damascus. In 1237 Al-Ashraf persuaded most of the Ayyubid rulers in Syria to join a coalition against Al-Kamil, the object of which was to confine him to Egypt and assure the continued autonomy of their Emirates. However that same year Al-Ashraf died unexpectedly and although Dayfa Khatun and several other rulers renewed it under the leadership of another brother, as-Salih Ismail, the coalition was weakened by the defection of some emirates to Al-Kamil. Al Kamil sent an army into Syria and took Damascus. He intended to embark on the pacification of all the other emirates in Syria, including Aleppo, but