The Mamluks ruled Egypt for hundreds of years, during which time there was a great change in both the Mamluk civilization itself and the new culture influenced by the Crescent religion.

Even though Cairo may seem bleak today, it is still one of the most prosperous cities in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and a central source of cultural export in the Near East. The unique Mamluk architecture gave John his first taste of the true meaning of "exoticism".

"Sponsored expansion – that's a big part of why Cairo is so prosperous today. Because the Sultan was weakened in real power, it was some of the larger Mamluk nobles who held great wealth. Although they did not sit on the throne of the Sultan, they still assisted in the construction of the city in various ways. John and Sophia followed the Mamluk guards through the streets of Cairo, a city fed by the Nile compared to Constantinople. Sophia, on the other hand, seems to know the city well.

"They would use their savings to donate money to the city for the construction of public buildings such as mosques, canals, bazaars and schools, perhaps because of the genetics of the emir's bloodline, which is very common in Cairo. Not only in Cairo, but also in some other relatively large cities, there were also aristocrats who made public donations, albeit in small amounts, enough to build some new buildings. It can be said that the deformed bureaucracy and aristocracy destroyed the Mamluks' originally solid and prosperous rule, but they also contributed greatly to the development of the Mamluk cities. ”

"How do you know so much?" John lowered his head and asked, "Have you been to Cairo before?" ”

"I never left Constantinople before I accompanied you to Epirus." Sophia gave John a blank look, "The writings of the scholars of Constantinople are very useful, you can look at them if you have nothing to do." Brother, although I am very pleased with your changes, you don't seem to have any good feelings about reading anymore. ”

"I don't dare to say whether the book is good or not, but it has already cost me a lot of pain."

"Maybe I will follow the example of Her Royal Highness the eldest princess in the future and write a biography of your life, this sentence, I decided to write on the title page."

"How dare you ......"

John was about to reach out to pinch Sophia's ear, when the Mamluk diplomatic envoy, who had been leading the way in front, suddenly turned his head: "Distinguished guest, ahead is the Golden Palace of the Sultan of Burgini, except for the Mamluk guards, you cannot carry weapons when entering the Golden Palace...... But rest assured, our warriors will keep you safe. ”

"Whatever the guest wants."

John shrugged indifferently and handed the decorative sword hanging from his waist to the guards standing at the gate of the Golden Palace. The Mamluk soldiers, of course, had great respect for John and Sophia, and would not engage in such a thing as a body search, since no diplomatic corps would carry a weapon when they met with the opposing ruler, which would be seen as a provocation bordering on humiliation.

Sadly, except for Sophia. The sleeve gun in the wide-sleeved long skirt is concealed and convenient.

"Your Majesty John, Your Highness Sophia, and ......"

"This is my Chosen Lady-in-Waiting, Evely Ducasse-Komnenos."

The Mamluk Sultan seemed to have gone through a strange plot in his mind, and then nodded peacefully: "I understand, I understand...... Ducasse Komnenos, who is also considered a famous family, is still somewhat prestigious in Epirus. ”

"It seems that His Majesty the Sultan also has some knowledge of the imperial lineage."

"The countries of the Mediterranean, for the Mamluk Sultanate, are potential partners." The Mamluk Sultan smiled, "Introduce myself, guests from afar, I am the master of the ship of the sand sea, the master of the Golden Temple, Zar Drodan of the Nile, and the Grand Sultan of the Mamluk Sultanate, Zahir Saifuddin Jegmeg. ”

"John Valleologo, my sister, Sophia."

"Welcome!"

Zahir Sultan gave the slave attendants a look, and plates of delicate fruits and desserts were placed on the table: "It's not yet time for the Mamluks to have dinner, Your Majesty John, why don't you taste the gifts of the sea of sand first, you will surely fall in love with these things." ”

Dates are sweet and soft, easy to preserve, and taste like honey when you take a bite. Whether it's a royal court or an ordinary family, dates will always be present in every corner of daily life. Dates can also be made into a variety of drinks and drinks, and the Mamluk court banquets are also indispensable for dates.

"Lord Sultan, Sophia can't drink. It's up to us to drink this toast to the friendship between the Roman Empire and the Mamluks! ”

While traditional crescentists do not drink alcohol, the court nobility of the Mamluk Sultans of the Bulgi dynasty is a unique exception who does not shy away from citing brewery. Whether it is alcoholic beverages or real brews, they are frequent visitors to the court. In Cairo's bazaars, there are even stalls set up by merchants who specialize in selling brewery.

In this era, the distillation and purification technology John knew that high-strength spirits were something that could be encountered but not sought. It is very rude and unwise to get drunk in a diplomatic situation, at least between him and Sophia, someone must remain absolutely sober,

But as soon as the date wine was in his mouth, it gave John a slap in the face.

Sultan Zahir drank all his wine from his throne, and his face was flushed with the stamina. John had never drunk such a strong liquid in Constantinople.

"Hahaha! Your Majesty, the Hayani date wine of the Mamluk court is not the same as your grape juice drink. ”

"Intense and sweet indeed! If you don't mind, I'd be more than happy to ask the Sultan how to make this sake. ”

"This is a small matter, there are special brewers in the Bourgie Palace, and His Majesty John likes it, so you can pick a few and let them sit on your ship." The Mamluks did not care about the movement of people, which was one of the characteristics of the Iqtar system.

"But Your Majesty, it is very rare for you and your envoys to come from afar, and as the Great Sultan of the Mamluks, I very much hope to have some real cooperation with your empire."

"Business or cultural? Your Excellency, please tell us what you think. John drank the last bit of wine in the cup, and although the glass was not large, after a few sips, he remembered the burning taste of sorghum soju.

"The empire and the Ottomans signed a five-year armistice, didn't they?"

John's hand holding the cup hovered in mid-air.