Nūr al-Dīn ʿAlī b. ʿUthmān

Nūr al-Dīn ʿAlī b. ʿUthmān was a son of the amir Fakhr al-DinʿUthmān who lived at the end of the Ayyubid period in Egypt. His father gained the entire province of al-Fayyum as “iqta” or feud from sultan Al-Kamil including its revenues, sugarcane, oxen and farm. Nūr al-Dīn became an influential amir and owner and manager of a small sugar refinery in al-Fusṭāṭ. During the 12th and 13th century, the sugar production was at its peak in Egypt and the amirs often managed their own refineries. This shows that sugar production and trade were very profitable enterprises during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods.