After the repose of Pope Cyril III of Alexandria (Cyril III ibn Laqlaq)) 75th Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, on 10 March 1243 AD, the Episcopal See of St Mark remained vacant for seven and a half years. The Copts were obliged to pay a fee of 3000 dinars every time they ordain a new Pope, which was a prohibitive sum. However, when Sultan Ezzeddin Aybak ((الملك المعز عز الدين أيبك التركماني الجاشنكير)) became the de facto ruler in 1250 AD, the Copts offered him a gift of 500 dinars for the purpose of this ordination, and he accepted it. Moreover, it seems that this was the last time that such a fee was imposed, as there is no record in history that the Copts had to pay this fee again.