CHAPTER II
The Conquest of Alexandria
The battle of al-Kiryaun. When ʿAmr ibn-al-ʿÂṣi conquered Miṣr, he settled in it and wrote to ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb soliciting his orders to march against Alexandria [al-Iskandarîyah].[1] ʿUmar wrote and ordered him to do so; so ʿAmr marched against it in the year 21, leaving as his substitute [lieutenant] over Miṣr Khârijah ibn-Ḥudhâfah ibn-Ghânim ibn-ʿÂmir ibn-ʿAbdallâh ibn-ʿUbaid ibn-ʿAwîj ibn-ʿAdi ibn-Kaʿb ibn-Luʾai ibn-Ghâlib. In the meantime, those Greeks and Copts who lived below Alexandria had gathered and said, "Let us attack him in al-Fusṭâṭ before he reaches here and makes an attempt on Alexandria." ʿAmr met them at al-Kiryaun[2] and defeated them with a great slaughter. In their ranks were men from Sakha, Bilhît, al-Khais and Sulṭais, and others who came to their assistance and support.
Alexandria reduced. ʿAmr kept his way until he arrived in Alexandria, whose inhabitants he found ready to resist him, but the Copts in it preferred peace. Al-Muḳauḳis communicated with ʿAmr and asked him for peace and a truce for a time; but ʿAmr refused. Al-Muḳauḳis then ordered that the women stand on the wall with their faces turned towards the city, and that the men stand armed, with their faces towards the Moslems, thus hoping to scare them
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