Before his ordination, the Episcopal Seat was vacant for 19 years, partly due to the competition between the three candidates vying for the position, including ibn Laqlaq himself.
His ordination was controversial, and he is remembered as a lover of money who did not ordain a bishop, a priest, or a deacon without getting paid, a practice called simony.
[1] The See of St Mark remained vacant for seven years, six months, and 28 days after Cyril ibn Laqlaq's death until he was succeeded by Pope Athanasius III of Alexandria on Sunday, 9 October 1250 AD.
Additionally, the Episcopal Seat remained vacant after the death of ibn Laqlaq for almost seven years and seven months until the consecration of his successor Pope Athanasius III of Alexandria on 9 October 1250 AD.
He was a gifted and effective administrator and a capable general and strategist who provided crucial military and civilian support for the great campaigns of his brother Saladin.
6 March 1238 – 1240 AD: The sixth Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt and Syria Al-Adil II - (الملك العادل أبو بكر بن الكامل) (Al-Malik al-ʿĀdil Sayf ad-Dīn Abū Bakr ibn Nāṣir ad-Dīn Muḥammad - سيف الدين الملك العادل أبو بكر بن ناصر الدين محمد) (born c. 1221 – died 9 February 1248).
2 May 1250–July 1250 AD: Shajar al-Durr (شجر الدر, "Tree of Pearls") whose Royal Name was al-Malika `Aṣmat ad-Dīn Umm-Khalīl Shajar ad-Durr (الملكة عصمة الدين أم خليل شجر الدر) (nicknamed: أم خليل, Umm Khalil; mother of Khalil) (died 28 April 1257 in Cairo).
His predecessor, Pope John VI of Alexandria, the 74th Pope of Alexandria, died in 1216 in grief over the conversion of the entire population of Pentapolis in Eastern Libya from Christianity to Islam, even though he had ordained a bishop for Pentapolis (the five western cities) after a long period where there was no bishop for this area (in hopes of strengthening the church there).
John VI died unhappy about the state of affairs of the Church and wary of the plans of Dawoud ibn Laqlaq.
On the very day that John VI died, supporters of the priest and monk David of Fayyum (داود الفيومي) started lobbying for his consecration as patriarch, on his behest.
[2] Cyril used the increasing military and political power of Egypt over Jerusalem to appoint a Coptic Orthodox bishop of that church, which until then had been the prerogative of the Patriarch of Antioch.
This angered Patriarch Ignatius III David, who retaliated by attempting unsuccessfully to fill the vacancy of Abuna or metropolitan for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
His reign lasted seven years, nine months, and ten days, and he was buried in Wax Monastery (Dair El-Shamaa) at Giza, Egypt.
A bloody and futile attack on the city was launched by the Crusaders on August 29, 1219, following which both sides agreed to a ceasefire which lasted four weeks.
It was most probably during this interlude that St Francis and his companion Brother Pacifico crossed the enemy lines and were brought before the Sultan, remaining in his camp for a few days.
Although Bonaventure asserts that the sultan refused to permit the challenge, subsequent biographies went further, claiming that a fire was actually kindled which Francis unhesitatingly entered without suffering burns.
It received concessions in 1333 from the Mameluke Sultan of Egypt Al-Malik Al-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad (reign 1310–1341) with regard to certain Holy Places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
[4] "Kitab Al-Tawareekh" by "Abi-Shaker ibn Al-Raheb", Manuscript Copy in the Library of Girguis Philotheos Awad, a prominent Coptic Scholar of the 20th Century.
[3] Marcos Semieka Pasha, "List of Books Located at Coptic Museum" [4] Society of St Mina at Alexandria, "Images from the History of the Copts".