Baghdad
Baghdad is Iraq’s capital on the Tigris River, founded by Abbasid caliph al-Mansur in 762 as a planned circular city.
Round City of Baghdad: The Round City was Baghdad’s original walled, circular core, built under al-Mansur. Its radial streets and central institutions organized the first planned capital.
Islamic Golden Age: The Islamic Golden Age was a period of major intellectual and cultural activity across parts of the Muslim world. Baghdad became one of its best-known centers of scholarship and translation.
Abbasid Caliphate: The Abbasid Caliphate was a Muslim dynasty that ruled much of the Islamic world from 750 to 1258. Baghdad’s political and cultural history is inseparable from the dynasty that made it its capital.
One Thousand and One Nights: One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian tales assembled over centuries. Its stories helped make Baghdad a lasting setting in global literary imagination.
Abbasid architecture: Abbasid architecture comprises the building forms and techniques developed under Abbasid rule. Baghdad’s palace, gates, and walls expressed Abbasid political authority in built form.
Translation Movement: The Translation Movement rendered Greek, Syriac, Persian, and other works into Arabic, especially under the Abbasids. Baghdad’s patrons and scholars helped make the city a major site of translation.
Samarra: Samarra is a city in Iraq that served as the Abbasid capital from 836 to 892. The court’s temporary move there shifted imperial power away from Baghdad.
Al-Mutanabbi Street: Al-Mutanabbi Street is a historic book-market street in central Baghdad. Its bookshops and publishing culture symbolize the city’s modern literary life.
Abbasid administration: Abbasid administration was the governmental system used to manage the caliphate and its provinces. Officials in Baghdad coordinated taxation, appointments, correspondence, and provincial oversight.
Siege of Baghdad (1258): The Siege of Baghdad in 1258 ended with Mongol forces capturing and devastating the city. The conquest ended Abbasid caliphal rule in Baghdad and transformed the city’s political role.