 The palaces of the Caliphs , their greatest architectural achievements , have been destroyed and are known only from written descriptions . The heartland of architectural activity and expression during Fatimid rule was at al @-@ Qahira , on the outskirts of Cairo on the eastern side of the Nile , where many of the palaces , mosques and other buildings were built . The Caliphs competed with their rivals of the Abbasid and Byzantine empires , and were known to indulge in furnishing their palaces with " extraordinary splendor " . The palaces had gold rafters to support the ceilings and Caliphs typically asked for a golden throne encased with a curtain similar to those of the rulers of the Abbasids and Byzantines . Furniture and ceramics were elegantly adorned with motifs of birds and animals which were said to bring good luck , and depictions of hunters , and musicians and dancers of the court which reflected the exuberance of Fatimid palace life . Fountains were installed in the palaces to cool the atmosphere . 
