The Abbasid Caliphate: Map & History
The Golden Age of Islamic civilization, centering in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom, pioneering algebra, optics, medicine, and global trade across the Silk Road.
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The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire was the third Islamic caliphate, ruled by the Abbasid dynasty. The dynasty was descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, after whom it is named. The Abbasids rose to power in 750, when the Abbasid Revolution overthrew the preceding Umayyad Caliphate. They ruled as caliphs from their base in Iraq until 1258, with Baghdad as their capital for most of their history.
Modern Countries Once Part of The Abbasid Caliphate
At its mapped extent, The Abbasid Caliphate covered territory in 28 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Iraq750–1259 CE · nearly all
- Jordan751–969 CE · nearly all
- Tajikistan755–885 CE · nearly all
- Armenia751–885 CE · nearly all
- Kuwait751–898 CE · nearly all
- Bahrain751–898 CE · nearly all
- Qatar751–898 CE · nearly all
- Iran750–969 CE · nearly all
- Saudi Arabia751–969 CE · most
- Azerbaijan751–946 CE · most
- Uzbekistan750–910 CE · most
- Egypt751–969 CE · most
- Syria751–969 CE · most
- Yemen751–898 CE · most
- Oman751–898 CE · most
- United Arab Emirates751–898 CE · most
- Turkmenistan750–910 CE · most
- Lebanon751–969 CE · most
- Palestine751–969 CE · most
- Tunisia763–799 CE · most
- Israel751–969 CE · most
- Georgia751–946 CE · a large part
- Afghanistan750–897 CE · a large part
- Libya751–959 CE · a large part
- Turkey751–946 CE · a large part
- Algeria763–799 CE · a small part
- Pakistan750–874 CE · a small part
- Kazakhstan755–885 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
- Ash Sharqiyah, Saudi Arabia
- Razavi Khorasan, Iran
- Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
- Khuzestan, Iran
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Ahal, Turkmenistan
- Al Minya, Egypt
- Esfahan, Iran
- Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan
- Leninabad, Tajikistan
- Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- Matruh, Egypt
- Ajdabiya, Libya
- Baluchistan, Pakistan
- Hadramawt, Yemen
- South Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
- Balkan, Turkmenistan
- Hatay, Turkey
- Sind, Pakistan
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside The Abbasid Caliphate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
The Abbasid Caliphate in Depth
History
The Abbasid caliphs descended from Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, one of the youngest uncles of Muhammad and of the same Banu Hashim clan. This family relation to Muhammad made them appealing to those who were discontented with the rule of the Umayyad caliphs (661–750), who did not descend from the same family. Over the course of their rule, the Umayyads even suppressed several rebellions that attempted to bring other members of Muhammad's family to power. One of the claims that the Abbasids made in the early years of their political movement was that Abu Hashim, the son of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya and grandson of Ali, had formally transferred the Imamate (imāmah) to Muhammad ibn Ali (the great-grandson of Abbas) and thus to the Abbasid family.
Military
The Abbasid army amassed an array of siege equipment, such as catapults, mangonels, battering rams, ladders, grappling irons, and hooks. All such weaponry was operated by military engineers. However, the primary siege weapon was the manjaniq, a type of siege weapon that was comparable to the trebuchet employed in Western medieval times. From the seventh century onward, it had largely replaced torsion artillery. By Harun al-Rashid's time, the Abbasid army employed fire grenades. The Abbasids also utilized field hospitals and ambulances drawn by camels. The cavalry was entirely covered in iron, with helmets. Similar to medieval knights, their only exposed spots were the end of their noses and small openings in front of their eyes.
Culture
The Abbasid historical period lasting to the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258 CE is considered the Islamic Golden Age. The Islamic Golden Age was inaugurated by the middle of the 8th century by the ascension of the Abbasid Caliphate and the transfer of the capital from Damascus to Baghdad. The Abbasids were influenced by the Qur'anic injunctions and hadith, such as "the ink of a scholar is more holy than the blood of a martyr", stressing the value of knowledge. During this period the Muslim world became an intellectual center for science, philosophy, medicine and education as the Abbasids championed the cause of knowledge and established the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, where both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars sought to translate and gather all the world's knowledge into Arabic.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Abbasid Caliphate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
The Abbasid Caliphate: Key Facts
| Capitals | Samarra, Hashimiyya, Baghdad, Baghdad |
|---|---|
| Official language | Arabic |
| Religion | Islam |
| Form of government | islamic theocracy |
| Currencies | gold dinar, Dirham |
| Founded | 750 CE |
| Dissolved | 10 February 1258 |
Preceded by
- Umayyad Caliphate
Succeeded by
- Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt
- Ottoman Empire
- Fatimid Caliphate
- Ilkhanate
- Tulunid Emirate of Egypt
Facts from Wikidata Q12536 (CC0).
Key Events in the History of The Abbasid Caliphate
Mapped, with their causes, timeline and answers to common questions.
Abbasid Caliphate Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which The Abbasid Caliphate appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Overthrowing the Umayyads in the 750 CE Abbasid Revolution, Caliph al-Mansur founded the circular planned city of Baghdad (Madinat al-Salam) along the Tigris. Under Harun al-Rashid—immortalized in the "One Thousand and One Nights"—and his son al-Ma'mun, Baghdad became the world’s intellectual capital. The House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) sponsored the Translation Movement, translating Greek, Sanskrit, and Persian manuscripts into Arabic, enabling polymaths like al-Khwarizmi (father of algebra) and Ibn al-Haytham (father of optics) to forge modern sciences.
Abbasid Caliphate Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Abbasids defeat the Umayyads; Abu al-Abbas declared Caliph in Kufa.
Caliph al-Mansur lays the circular foundations of the Round City on the Tigris.
Al-Ma’mun convenes astronomers, mathematicians, and translators in Baghdad.
Hulagu Khan’s Mongol army sacks Baghdad, bringing the historic caliphate to a close.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Invention of Algebra by Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, giving rise to algorithms
- ✓The Translation Movement preserving and advancing Greek, Persian, and Indian scientific treatises
- ✓Foundation of the House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) and early hospital infirmaries (Bimaristans)
- ✓Global maritime and caravan commerce immortalized in the Sindbad voyager cycles
Abbasid Caliphate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Abbasid Caliphate exist?
The Abbasid Caliphate is dated to 750 CE – 1258 CE (Golden Age Peak: 850 CE), in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate?
The capital of the Abbasid Caliphate was Baghdad (The Round City of Peace), Samarra.
How large was the Abbasid Caliphate at its peak?
At its peak in 750 AD the Abbasid Caliphate covered about 11,100,000 km².
How did the map of the Abbasid Caliphate change over time?
The Abbasid Caliphate appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 750 CE to 900 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Geographic Lifelines
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Middle Ages • Capital: Constantinople
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Pataliputra, Ujjain
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Early Middle Ages • Capital: Chang'an