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: ...

Baghdad was once the capital of an empire and the center of the Islamic world, but at 1,250 years old, the Iraqi city is a far cry from its past glories after being ravaged by years of war and ...

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 ...

Narrator: In 762, the city of Baghdad was established by Al-Mansur. The centre was a perfect circle. The round city. By 814, Baghdad was the world's largest city with over one million inhabitants. Its ...

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 ...

This week we are entering the hidden places of powerful men and women around the world, in the years about 800 AD. For the last programme we were in Mexico, with a Mayan queen in a private ritual of ...