Egypt

Egypt in Dati's day was ruled by the Mamluk sultanate (1250–1517). Dati has nothing but good things to say about Egypt—particularly its volume of trade, fertile lands, scientific tradition, and ancient Christian piety; one explanation for this may be that the Florentines were trying to establish diplomatic and commercial relations with the Mamluks at the time Dati was writing La sfera, after their conquest of Pisa in the early years of the 15th century. See also Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt.