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ʿAbbasid caliphate
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Map showing the extent of the Abbasid caliphate in the 9th century, with regions under direct Abbasid rule shaded in green, and surrounding areas under Abbasid suzerainty or controlled by other dynasties-Aghlabids of Tunisia, Idrisids of Morocco, Tahirids in the east, and the Umayyad emirate of Spain-indicated in different colors. Major cities such as Baghdad, Cairo, Mecca, and Cordoba are labeled, along with key regional boundaries.
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ʿAbbasid caliphate

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ʿAbbasid caliphate, second of the two great dynasties of the Muslim empire of the caliphate. It overthrew the Umayyad caliphate in 750 ce and reigned as the Abbasid caliphate until it was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in 1258. The name is derived from that of the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, al-ʿAbbās (died c. 653) of the Hashemite clan of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. From about 718, members of his family worked to...

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