The five centuries of the Abbasid empire coincided with the Islamic world reaching its political and cultural zenith. Its brilliance lay in its sheer wealth, its geographical reach from Armenia to ...

A stormy sea: the politics of the 'Abbasid caliphate -- From Baghdad to Cordoba: the cities of classical Islam -- Princes and beggars: life and society in the 'Abbasid Age -- The lifeblood of empire: ...

Islamic science had its heyday in the ninth century, thanks to Ab? Ja'far al-Ma'm?n's House of Wisdom, says Jim al-Khalili The Bab al-Sharji district in the centre of Baghdad derives its name, which ...

The Abbasid dynasty was established by Abu al-Abbas, who was also called Saffah, meaning the spiller of blood. ONE The Abbasids came to power in 750AD and remained so for about five centuries, though ...

To understand the chaos and bloodshed in Iraq, the masked men of ISIS and their call for an Islamic caliphate, go back 1,239 years. The year is 775. The place is Baghdad. The Sunni caliph Al Mansur ...

Joe Grantham is a contributor from the UK with a degree in Classical Studies. His love for gaming is only rivaled by a deep passion for medieval history, which often seeps into his articles. With over ...