Abbasid Caliphate اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلْعَبَّاسِيَّةُ‎
750–1258 1261–1517
Abbasid Caliphate at its greatest extent, c. 850
Status	Early Abbasid era (750–861) Middle Abbasid era (861–936) Later Abbasid era (936–1258)
Capital	Kufa (750–752) Anbar (752–762) al-Rumiyyah Baghdad (762–796, 809–836, 892–1258) Raqqa (796–809) Samarra (836–892) Cairo (1261–1517)
Common languages	Classical Arabic (central administration); various regional languages
Religion	Sunni Islam
Government	Caliphate
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
•	750
•	1517
Currency	Dinar (gold coin) Dirham (silver coin) Fals (copper coin)
Preceded by Succeeded by Umayyad Caliphate Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo) Ottoman Empire Ghurid Sultanate Fatimid Caliphate Seljuk Empire Saffarid dynasty Ziyadid dynasty Tulunid dynasty Mongol Empire
Amir al-Mu'minin (أمير المؤمنين), Caliph (خليفة)

The Abbasid Caliphate was the third of the four greatest Islamic caliphates of the Arab Empire. It overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Al-Andalus. It was built by the descendant of Muhammad's youngest uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. It was created in Harran in 750 of the Christian era and shifted its capital in AD 762 from Harran to Baghdad. It flourished for two centuries, surviving the Zanj Rebellion (869-883). Abbasid rule was ended in 1258, when Hulagu Khan, the Mongol conqueror, sacked Baghdad. But they continued to claim authority in religious matters from their base in Egypt.