In the 8th century Middle East, a new dynasty seized control of one of the world’s greatest empires – the Islamic Caliphate. Though little remembered in the west today, the Abbasids reigned for five ...

In 750 AD, a revolution swept across the Islamic world. The Abbasids, claiming descent from the Prophet Muhammad’s family, led a massive uprising that overthrew the ruling Umayyad dynasty and seized ...

It’s easy to understand why the battle of Talas in 751 between the Abbasid Caliphate’s Arab-Persian army and the Chinese army is often said to be one of the most important battles in Central Asian ...