Middle Ages
Abbasid / Umayyad Caliphate
661 AD – 1258 AD · peak 800 AD
The Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258 AD) governed from Baghdad, facilitating the Islamic Golden Age through the preservation and expansion of scientific knowledge at the House of Wisdom. The dynasty oversaw significant advancements in algebra, medicine, and astronomy while ruling a vast territory stretching from North Africa to Central Asia. The caliphate gradually fractured into autonomous provinces before the central authority collapsed during the Mongol siege of Baghdad in 1258 AD.
Capital: Baghdad / Cordova
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Silk Road (130 BC – 1450 AD)
- Trans-Saharan Gold Route (700 AD – 1500 AD)
- Route from the Varangians to the Greeks (800 AD – 1100 AD)
- Hanseatic League (1200 AD – 1600 AD)
- Indian Ocean Spice Route (800 AD – 1500 AD)