How did the Arab conquest change Alexandria’s political importance?

The Arab conquest of Alexandria in 642 CE marked a significant decline in the city’s political importance, as it ceased to be the capital of Egypt. Following the conquest, the Arab rulers chose not to utilize established cities like Alexandria as their administrative center; instead, they founded a new garrison town at Al-Fustat, which became the new capital.123

Alexandria’s political status was further diminished as its fortunes became tied to the broader developments of the Islamic world, and it was eventually eclipsed by the rising importance of Cairo. By the 11th century, the Coptic patriarchate was transferred from Alexandria to the new capital. While the city remained a functional trading center and a naval base under the Fatimid and Mamluk dynasties, it experienced a gradual contraction in size and influence, eventually being reduced to a modest port city under Ottoman rule.2