In 1968, C. Cahen, a Western pioneer in the study of the Seljuks of Anatolia or Rum, published Pre-Ottoman Turkey, a provisional history of that subject to which he appended an extensive bibliographical survey. In 1988, he published a somewhat revised and reorganised French version entitled La Turquie Pré-Ottomane, in which the bibliography was also revised and reorganised. In the bibliography of the French book, but not in the original English, Cahen included Histoire des Patriarches d'Alexandrie (Paris/Alexandria, 1943–74) – or, as it is called in the combined Arabic edition and English translation, The History of the Patriarchs of the Egyptian Church – in the section on primary Arabic and Persian sources. As far as I know, this work is not included in the bibliography for any other monograph on the Seljuks of Anatolia. Nor does the History of the Patriarchs appear in any strictly bibliographical compilation. Why, therefore, did Cahen mention it as a primary source? Does it in fact shed light on the history of the Seljuks of Anatolia? Has it been overlooked, or is Cahen's reference an oversight? In this contribution we shall answer these questions.

The History of the Patriarchs (hereinafter cited as the History) is the most important source for the history of the Coptic Church of Egypt. It consists of extensive biographies of most of the patriarchs of the Church from the first century to 1243.