The common people then spread (1) alarming tales about the army, as is their wont with their countless stories, and a number of them were harmed as a result.

On Monday, the eighth of the month, the deputy of Ḥamāh arrived in Damascus, dutifully submitting to the viceroy of the sultanate and appearing in full pomp and splendor; he was granted the customary honors accorded to men of his rank.

That same day a dispatch arrived announcing that Emir Sayf al-Dīn Bayghara, chief of the chamberlains in Egypt, was on his way to secure the oath of allegiance for Sultan al-Malik al-Muẓaffar. Festive salutes were sounded in the wutāq, and orders were issued to decorate the city. The people complied, though without cheer; most of them suspected trickery and deceit and believed that Egyptian expeditions would arrive shortly. The Citadel deputy refused to beat the salutes, redoubled the fortress’s defenses, and shut its gate so that only the outer and inner wicket doors (2) remained open—an action that unsettled the populace, who kept saying, “Had anything truly definite been settled, the Citadel deputy would have learned of it before the wutāq.”

When Tuesday afternoon came, Emir Sayf al-Dīn Bayghara entered the wutāq. He was received with great honor, bearing the deed of investiture from al-Muẓaffar installing Emir Sayf al-Dīn Yalbugha as viceroy, along with a letter of greeting to the emirs. They rejoiced, pledged him their allegiance, and—praise be to Allah—unity was restored.

Bayghara then rode to the Citadel, dismounted, unsheathed his sword, and went in to the Citadel deputy, who promptly paid him homage. The festive salutes were sounded in the Citadel after sunset once the news had reached him; people’s spirits lifted, and by morning the Citadel was festooned with decorations, which increased throughout the city, bringing joy to all.

On Thursday, the eleventh of the month, the viceroy proceeded from the wutāq into the city, the aṭlāb regiments marching before him in full splendor and the military bands beating their drums in the customary parade. The townspeople had turned out to watch; the dhimmīs came forth carrying the Torah; candles were lit, and it was a memorable day (3).

During the month of Ramaḍān of this same year, a boy six years of age led the prayer in the outer Shāmiyya mosque. I saw him and tested him, and found him excellent in memorization and recitation—one of the rarest wonders imaginable.

Within the first ten days of this month, construction was completed of the two bathhouses that the viceroy had erected near the Thābitiyya, in the old Sultan’s khān, together with the surrounding dwellings, cisterns, and other facilities.

On Sunday, the eleventh of the month, the viceroy, the four chief judges, the agent of the public treasury, and senior state officials gathered at Tall al-Mustaqīn (4). The viceroy had resolved to build on that spot a congregational mosque equal in size to the Tankiz Mosque. They consulted there, and the matter (5) concluded with agreement that the work should proceed; Allah is the Lord of success.