Abbasid Caliphate
اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلْعَبَّاسِيَّةُ
al-Khilāfah al-ʿAbbāsiyyah
  • 750–1258
  • 1261–1517
Flag of Abbasids
The Black Standard
The Abbasid Caliphate in c. 850
The Abbasid Caliphate inc. 850
StatusEmpire
Capital
  • Kufa
    (750–752)
  • Anbar
    (752–762)
  • al-Rumiyyah
    (some month in 762)
  • Baghdad
    (762–796, 809–836, 892–1258)
  • Raqqa
    (796–809)
  • Merv
    (811–815)
  • Samarra
    (836–892)
  • Cairo
    (1261–1517)
Common languagesClassical Arabic (central administration); various regional languages
Religion
Sunni Islam
GovernmentCaliphate (Hereditary)
Caliph 
• 750–754
As-Saffah (first)
• 1242–1258
Al-Musta'sim (last Caliph in Baghdad)
• 1508–1517
al-Mutawakkil III (last Caliph in Cairo)
History 
• Establishment
750
• Decline of Abbasids
861
• Death of Al-Radi and beginning of Later Abbasid era (940–1258).
940
• Mongol sack of Baghdad
1258
• Disestablished
1517
Currency
  • Dinar (gold coin)
  • Dirham (silver coin)
  • Fals (copper coin)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Umayyad Caliphate
Dabuyid dynasty
Mamluk Sultanate
Mongol Empire
Ottoman Empire
Emirate of Córdoba
Idrisid dynasty
Ziyarid dynasty
Sajid dynasty
Saffarid dynasty
Fatimid Caliphate
Buyid dynasty
Ottoman Caliphate