Baghdad was founded by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur on the west bank of the Tigris, with the official name Madinat al-Salam, the City of Peace. It was laid out as a round city with the caliph's palace and the great mosque at the center, and it became the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Under rulers such as Harun al-Rashid and al-Ma'mun it grew into one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world, with the House of Wisdom, where scholars translated and extended Greek, Persian and Indian works in science and philosophy. The Mongols under Hulagu sacked the city in 1258, killing many inhabitants and destroying libraries. It later passed to the Ottomans and became the capital of Iraq in 1921.
Before and after
- from 754 CE to 1870Papal States
- from 16 December 755 CE to 17 February 763 CEAn Lushan Rebellion
- from 756 CE to 929 CEEmirate of Córdoba
- from 757 CE to 1393Origins of Sijilmasa
- c. 762 CEOrigins of Baghdad
- c. 762 CEBirth of Abu Nuwas
- 30 November 762 CEDeath of Li Bai
- from 764 CE to 1621Construction of Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch
- 770 CEDeath of Du Fu
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 710 CEConstruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque
- 990 CEConstruction of Château de Montsoreau
- from 11th century to 18th centuryHouse of Habsburg
- from 1206 to 1368Mongol Empire
- 1239Construction of Alhambra
- 1420Construction of Kremlin
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 8th century.