The Caliphates: The Rise and Fall
From the Prophet’s death in Medina to the Mongol sack of Baghdad, the documentary traces the political and cultural evolution of the Islamic caliphates (632‑1258).
Chapters
- 0:07 From Medina to Damascus (632‑750)
- 2:28 Abbasid Golden Age (750‑950)
- 4:13 Regional Dynasties and Fragmentation (950‑1258)
- 5:13 Mongol Catastrophe and Legacy (1258)
On-screen text
- 0:07 From Medina to Damascus (632‑750)
- 0:14 From Medina to Damascus (632‑750)
- 0:31 Muhammad dies in Medina, 632 CE Historical record · Sahih al-Bukhari
- 0:40 Abu Bakr’s Ridda wars unite Arabia Historical record · Al-Tabari, History of Prophets and Kings
- 0:58 Battle of Yarmouk, 636 CE Historical record · Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle
- 1:07 Damascus becomes Umayyad capital Historical record · Al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan
- 1:25 Great Mosque of Damascus inaugurated, 706 Historical record · Foundation stone inscription, Great Mosque of Damascus (c. 706)
- 1:43 Tariq lands in Iberia, 711 CE Historical record · Chronicle of 754 (Mozarabic Chronicle)
- 2:01 Abd al-Rahman I founds Córdoba Emirate Historical record · Ibn al-Qutiyya, History of al-Andalus
- 2:19 Abbasids defeat Umayyads, 750 CE Historical record · Al-Tabari, History of Prophets and Kings
- 2:28 Abbasid Golden Age (750‑950)
- 2:35 Abbasid Golden Age (750‑950)
- 2:52 Abbasids defeat Umayyads, 750 CE Historical record · Al-Tabari, History of Prophets and Kings
- 3:10 Baghdad founded, 762 CE Historical record · Al-Tabari, History of Prophets and Kings
- 3:28 House of Wisdom thrives, 830 CE Historical record · Al-Masudi, Meadows of Gold (Muruj al-Dhahab)
- 3:46 Abu Bakr’s Ridda wars unite Arabia Historical record · Al-Tabari, History of Prophets and Kings
- 4:04 Battle of Karbala, 680 CE Historical record · Al-Tabari, History of Prophets and Kings
- 4:13 Regional Dynasties and Fragmentation (950‑1258)
- 4:20 Regional Dynasties and Fragmentation (950‑1258)
- 4:46 Seljuks take Baghdad, 1055 CE Historical record · Ibn al-Athir, The Complete History
- 5:04 Córdoba caliphate ends, 1031 CE Historical record · Al-Maqqari, Nafh al-Tīb
- 5:13 Mongol Catastrophe and Legacy (1258)
- 5:29 Mongols sack Baghdad, 1258 CE Historical record · Juvaini, History of the World Conqueror (Tarikh-i Jahangushay)
Sources
Historical record: Sahih al-Bukhari · Al-Tabari, History of Prophets and Kings · Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle · Al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan · Foundation stone inscription, Great Mosque of Damascus (c. 706) · Chronicle of 754 (Mozarabic Chronicle) · Ibn al-Qutiyya, History of al-Andalus · Al-Masudi, Meadows of Gold (Muruj al-Dhahab) · Al-Masʿūdi, Kitab al-Tanbih wa al-Ishrāf · Ibn al-Athir, The Complete History · Al-Maqqari, Nafh al-Tīb · Juvaini, History of the World Conqueror (Tarikh-i Jahangushay)
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 74 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (4) — the next things to make
- Arabian warriors on horseback confronting rebel tribes in desert camps.
- Palatial Umayyad court in Damascus, mosaics and courtiers.
- Ceremonial proclamation in Kairouan, Fatimid banners unfurled.
- Mongol Catastrophe and Legacy (1258): Recognize the end of the Abbasid caliphate and its lasting impact on the Islamic world.