Baghdad: The Jewel of the Abbasid Caliphate and Epicenter of the Islamic Golden Age

Founded in 750 CE, the Abbasid Caliphate made Baghdad its capital under Caliph al-Mansur. He built it as a round city between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Baghdad became a major global center of culture, commerce, and scholarship during the Islamic Golden Age. The House of Wisdom library and intellectual center flourished.

People from diverse lands including China, Europe, and Africa came to Baghdad, swelling its population to over 1 million by the 10th century.

Baghdad saw advancements in fields like philosophy, medicine, mathematics, and astronomy due to translation efforts and visiting scholars.

In 1258 CE, Baghdad was besieged and destroyed by Mongol forces, ending the Abbasid Caliphate and Islamic Golden Age. The House of Wisdom and its contents were lost.