 According to Ira M. Lapidus , public architecture under the Fatimids was an " extension of the ceremonial aspects of the royal court " , and was also intricately made . Fatimid architecture drew together decorative and architectural elements from the east and west , and spanned from the early Islamic period to the Middle Ages , making it difficult to categorize . The architecture that developed as an indigenous form under the Fatimids incorporated elements from Samarra , the seat of the Abbasids , as well as Coptic and Byzantine features . Most early buildings of the Fatimid period were of brick , although from the 12th century onward stone gradually became the chief building material . The Fatimids combined elements of eastern and western architecture , drawing on Abbasid , North African , Greek and indigenous Coptic traditions , and bridged between the early Islamic styles and medieval architecture of the Mamluks . The Fatimids were unusually tolerant of people with different ethnic origins and religious views , and were adept at exploiting their abilities . Thus many of the works of Fatimid architecture reflect architectural details imported from Northern Syria and Mesopotamia , probably in part due to the fact that they often employed architects from these places to construct their buildings . Fatimid architecture in Egypt drew from earlier Tulunid styles and techniques , and used similar types of material . While also consciously adhering to Abbasid architectural concepts , the architecture is more influenced by Mediterranean cultures and less by Iranian . 
