Abbasid Baghdad
Baghdad was the capital city of the 
Abbasid Caliphate, and was also the most important city during his time. The city is build like a perfect circle, with layers of walls, gates, and a river dug around. There is a mosque at the center of the city. Baghdad quickly became a center for knowledge, administration, translation, science, trade and culture.
The 
Tigris River, which had nurtured civilization for millennia, divided Baghdad into western and eastern sections, connected by two pontoon bridges. The Abbasid Caliphate had built numerous circular fortresses and mosques along both banks, with the main part of the city concentrated on the eastern side. The entire city of Baghdad was structured in concentric rings: an outer city, an inner city, and the royal city, each separated by high walls.
History
Founding
Main article:
Round City of Baghdad
Baghdad was founded on Abbasid clay on July 30, 762 after the 
Umayyad was defeated. This city was founded by Abbasid's second caliph, 
Al-Mansur. Mansur believed that Baghdad was the perfect city to be the capital of the Islamic empire under the Abbasids. Mansur loved the site so much he is quoted saying, "This is indeed the city that I am to found, where I am to live, and where my descendants will reign afterward". At the core of Baghdad was a city shaped as a perfect circle, known as the 
Round City of Baghdad (official termed 
City of Peace.
The Round City was partially ruined during the siege of 812-813, when Caliph al-Amin was killed by his brother, who then became the new caliph al-Ma'mun. The Round City never recovered. His walls were destroyed by 912, leaving no remains and no agreement as to where he was once located.
Golden Age
Within a generation of his founding, Baghdad became a hub of learning and commerce. The city flourished into an unrivaled 
intellectual center of 
science, medicine, philosophy, and education, especially with the 
Graeco-Arabic 
translation movement taking place in Baghdad from the mid-eighth century to the late tenth century.
The markets that developed in Baghdad were sophisticated because of the government's supervision of their products as well as trade amongst each other. An advanced banking system developed as well, allowing further settlement from outsiders. Baghdad's location between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers created a trade link to further destinations such as 
China, 
India, and 
Armenia, drawing more people, literature, and knowledge to the city.
Baghdad's location made him ideal for paper production, which lowered the cost of creating books, making them more prevalent and accessible to more people. As more texts began to be produced, a new market for book vendors opened, and libraries and bookstores appeared in the city. As the public and private sectors of the community became more educated, cultural narrative and 
secular writing began. In the city, demand for secular literature, designed for entertainment, developed, which shaped the culture of the city's population, as well as the Abbasid Empire as a whole, with Baghdad being a reason for the 
Islamic Golden Age.
The mild climate and topography made Baghdad attractive as well for travelers. Cultures shared knowledge, books, language, and faiths, ultimately creating a "cosmopolitan city" that developed into a learning center. At his height, Baghdad was estimated to have over one and half million people living in the city. He may have been the largest city in the 
world during that time.
Political Fragmentation & Decline
By the 10th century, the city's population was between 300,000 and 500,000. Baghdad's early meteoric growth slowed due to troubles within the caliphate, including relocations of the capital to 
Samarra (during 808-819 and 836-892), the loss of the western and easternmost provinces, and periods of political domination by the 
Iranian Buwayhids (945-1055) and 
Seljuk Turks (1055-1135).
Nevertheless, Baghdad remained one of the cultural and commercial hubs of the Islamic realm until some nomad steppe people decided that they want to conquer the world.
Fall of Baghdad
By the 13th century, the Abbasids had long lost their once so great influence and power. The world was dominated and terrorized by another force: the 
Mongol Empire.
In September 1257, 
Hulegu Khan, one of the many grandsons of 
Genghis, sent an envoy with a letter to Al-Musta'sim, the caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate, harshly accusing him of breaking his promise. Al-Mustasim had agreed to join the Mongol army in attacking the 
Nizari Ismailis but did not send a single soldier. Instead, he sheltered the remnants of the Nizari Ismailis, openly opposing the Mongols.
In the letter, Hulagu warned Al-Mustasim:
“”I respect your ancient and great
 Arab lineage, but the  moon only shines when it is not obscured by clouds. Do not shut your eyes and ears, do not strike an egg against a rock, and do not try to smear mud over the  sun. Otherwise, you will face severe consequences. If the Mongol army is enraged and marches upon Baghdad, not a single person in your kingdom will survive. Your city will be utterly destroyed. If you wish to preserve your family, heed my advice. If you remain stubborn, then let us see whose side  God will take! |
| — Hulegu Khan
|
In other words, "Let's wait and see."
In response to Hulagu's warning, Al-Mustasim replied defiantly:
“”You overestimate your strength. You will get nothing from me. If victory could be achieved through mere threats and imagination, why would the Mongols need swords? Forcing me to submit is as impossible as plucking the stars from the sky. Before I am enraged, you had better return to where you came from. So far, every invader who has dared to threaten the
Abbasid family and Baghdad has met a tragic fate. |
| — Al-Musta'sim
|
Upon hearing this, Hulagu was furious and immediately ordered his army to march on Baghdad. The fate of the Abbasids were now sealed. The advancing Mongol forces kicked up dust that darkened the sky, and the ground trembled from their approach.
Realizing that the Mongols were serious, Al-Mustasim became fearful and consulted his ministers on how to respond. His court was divided into two factions. The pro-peace faction, led by the vizier, proposed sending vast amounts of gold, silver, and jewels as tribute to appease the Mongols, believing that they spared those who surrendered. The 
pro-war faction, led by General Sulaiman Shah (also known as Sulayman), argued for a resolute defense, insisting that the Mongols were merciless and that past massacres proved surrender was futile—doing so would only lead to slaughter. He urged the mobilization of the population, recruitment of soldiers, preparation for war, scorched-earth tactics, and fortification of the city.
After much hesitation, Al-Mustasim abandoned the idea of surrender and resolved to fight the Mongols.
Sulaiman strongly pushed for preparing Baghdad’s defenses, believing that retreat or surrender would only lead to disaster. He urged fortifying the city and mobilizing troops, while the local population supported the war effort.
However, as time passed, a major problem arose—soldiers needed food and supplies to fight. Sulaiman asked Al-Mustasim for resources, but the Caliph was unwilling to spend money. After much delay, he reluctantly provided only a small amount, not even enough for a proper meal. Disheartened, many troops abandoned their posts, and morale plummeted before the Mongols even arrived.
Seige of Baghdad
In October 1257, Hulagu Khan's army reached 
Kermanshah and easily defeated a small garrison of 
Turkic mercenaries. From there, 
Baghdad was only 200 kilometers away. Hulagu sent another demand for surrender, but Al-Mustasim still 
refused to act. He neither strengthened 
defenses nor prepared for battle. Instead, he stayed in his palace, praying and hoping for 
divine intervention from 
Allah. He even warned the Mongols with empty threats, claiming that attacking Baghdad would bring disaster upon them.
Upon receiving the envoy's report of those threats, Hulagu summoned a wise 
elder named 
Nasir al-Din to predict the outcome of the war.
Nasir al-Din told Hulagu, "My respected Great Khan, none of the things the Caliph has warned about will come to pass." Hulagu asked, "Then what will happen?" Nasir al-Din replied, "Great Khan, you will replace the Caliph."
Overjoyed by this prophecy, Hulagu ordered his army to advance in three divisions:
Kitbuqa Noyan led the left-wing army, attacking the lower 
Tigris River and encircling Baghdad from the south.
Baiju Noyan commanded the right-wing army, advancing along the upper Tigris River from the north.
Hulagu himself led the central force, marching directly toward Baghdad.
General Baiju, leading the Mongol right wing, quickly defeated the resistance along the way and reached the upper Tigris River. About 50 kilometers from Baghdad, he encountered General Sulaiman/Sulayman, who had come to 
defend the city. Sulaiman ordered his cavalry to charge, but the Mongols scattered, retreating while shooting crossbow bolts at the Arab riders. After a day of fighting, both sides suffered losses. They stopped for the night, and Sulaiman set up camp, planning to resume the battle the next day. For access to water, he camped in a low area near the Tigris River, which the Mongols had hoped for. That night, Baiju sent Mongol engineers to build a dam upstream using wooden stakes, fishing nets, and sandbags. By morning, the dam was ready, and Baiju had it blown up with gunpowder, releasing the floodwaters downstream, which swept through Sulaiman's camp.
The Arab army camp was instantly engulfed by floodwaters. Arab soldiers panicked, desperately searching for wooden planks and other objects to stay afloat. Horses and tents were swept away, and only a few soldiers managed to escape, fleeing to higher ground. As the Arab army descended into chaos, Mongol cavalry approached from a distance, encircling them. They launched relentless attacks across the flooded terrain, using their powerful bows to shoot at the struggling Arab soldiers trapped in the mud, or piercing them one by one with long spears. In this way, the 15,000-strong Arab army was annihilated, except for General Sulayman and a few soldiers who managed to escape to Tikrit. The rest of the troops were completely wiped out.
The Tigris River bore witness to the complete destruction of the last remaining military strength of the Abbasid Empire. Caliph Al-Musta'sim could no longer muster any effective resistance. Following this victory, Hulagu Khan advanced rapidly, soon reaching the northern outskirts of Baghdad. Almost simultaneously, Baiju's southern army crushed scattered resistance and reached the southern gates of Baghdad, completing the Mongol encirclement of the city.
Hulegu Khan and his generals decided that the defenders of Baghdad had low morale, most of their best soldiers had already been defeated in battle, and al-Musta'sim had 
lost the will to fight. They believed that by using powerful catapults to attack the city, the caliph might surrender.
To prepare for the siege, Hulegu ordered his commander, 
Guo Kan, to lead 5,000 workers to build siege weapons day and night. And at the same time, 
Kitbuqa, who lead the left-wing army, was tasked with blocking the Tigris River to stop the caliph from escaping. They connected boats with iron chains across the river and sent patrol boats to watch the area.
On January 28, 1258, under the command of the famed general Guo Kan, the Mongol forces launched a full-scale assault on Baghdad. Guo Kan brought in over a thousand catapults and gunpowder barrel launchers, along with a massive number of ballistae and siege ladders. At his signal, enormous stones and explosive barrels screamed through the air toward the city walls. The defending troops were instantly crushed and torn apart, blood and flesh flying, as 
flames engulfed the city. All of Baghdad seemed to tremble from the impact.
With the defenders' counterattacks suppressed, the siege troops raised their ladders and climbed the walls, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat. The defenders suffered devastating losses. By the end of the day's fighting, the Mongol army had seized control of three outer gates of the city, gaining a commanding view over the inner city and even the royal palace itself.
That night, three small boats slipped out from within the city of Baghdad, attempting to break through the Mongol blockade. But they didn’t get far, Mongol archers swiftly rained arrows upon them, and those not killed were captured alive. Under interrogation, the prisoners revealed that the boats belonged to the royal scribe 
Ibn al-Alqami. They claimed he was already inclined to surrender to the Mongols, and if the Great Khan gave his approval, they could return as envoys to persuade Ibn al-Alqami to defect.
Upon receiving this news, Hülegü felt even more confident in his grasp of the situation.
Despite the city being completely encircled by the Mongol horde, Caliph al-Musta'sim still wavered, torn between resistance and surrender. On February 5, he sent his vizier to Hülegü's camp to request negotiations, but Hülegü flatly rejected the offer.
The next day, al-Musta'sim made a second attempt, this time sending a more formal delegation: the vizier, the royal scribe Ibn al-Alqami, and General Sulayman. They came bearing a message: the Caliph was willing to surrender, but only under certain conditions. He requested that Hülegü lift the siege to create a more "peaceful atmosphere" for talks.
Hülegü scoffed at this delay tactic. To the delegation, he made his position brutally clear: the Caliph had only one path left—unconditional surrender. There would be no negotiations, no compromises.
At dawn the next day, the Mongol army mounted their catapults atop the outer city walls and began hurling massive stones and barrels of gunpowder into the inner city and the Caliph's royal palace. One after another, buildings crumbled beneath the bombardment. Flames engulfed the streets, turning Baghdad into a blazing inferno. Rubble littered the ground, corpses shattered and mangled by falling debris lay strewn across the city like broken dolls. The collapse of the inner city and the royal citadel itself was now imminent. The Mongols advanced slowly but inexorably, like a tide of doom. With no hope left, Caliph al-Musta'sim, gripped by despair, sent one of his sons along with several high-ranking officials, bearing gifts, to go to Hülegü's camp to beg for surrender. Hugelu received Musta'sim's son and the members of his delegation in his grand tent, demanding Musta'sim's unconditional surrender. He agreed to give Musta'sim a few days to consider, and the Mongol army temporarily suspended their assault on the inner city and the royal palace.
Surrender
On February 8, 1258, Sulayman, together with the troops defending the inner city and their families, came out and surrendered to Hülegü. Hülegü received them 
kindly, offering reassuring words, and reassigned the surrendered soldiers to serve in the Mongol army as auxiliary troops. Seeing that his ministers had been treated leniently, Musta'sim felt somewhat at ease and began preparing for his own surrender.
The following day, Musta'sim, accompanied by his family and more than 3,000 of Baghdad's 
high-ranking officials and nobles, emerged from the imperial palace. They brought with them vast amounts of gold, silver, and jewels, and formally submitted a written declaration of surrender to Hülegü.
Looking down at the dejected Musta'sim, Hülegü appeared magnanimous. He did not rebuke the caliph, but instead conversed with him in a friendly manner—asking after his health and chatting casually about daily matters. After returning to the palace, Musta'sim issued a proclamation throughout the city, ordering the soldiers and 
civilians of Baghdad to lay down their weapons and peacefully exit the city. A grand surrender ceremony was held in the square outside the gates.
Nine days later, Hülegü entered Musta'sim’s imperial palace. As he walked upon the soft 
Persian carpets, gazing at the dazzling halls and opulently arranged courtyards—filled with blooming flowers and centered around a great fountain that spouted water without end—he couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.
Seated upon the 
throne of the caliph, Hülegü summoned Musta'sim and ordered him to reveal the location of his 
treasures. In a daze, Musta'sim led his attendants to smash open the storerooms, from which they extracted ten thousand gold coins, two thousand silk robes, and thirty chests of jewels. These were humbly presented to Hülegü, who immediately distributed all of the wealth to his generals and noyons without keeping a single coin for himself.
Hulegu asked for the rest or the treasure. He already had a clear grasp of Musta'sim's character. He knew that to extract the full extent of the Abbasid wealth, he would have to apply pressure. Musta'sim would not reveal everything until the very last moment. With no other choice, Musta'sim reluctantly admitted that beneath the palace fountain lay a hidden underground vault, where the accumulated treasures of the Abbasid Dynasty were stored.
Hülegü ordered the fountain pool to be 
dug up—and sure enough, a massive subterranean treasury was uncovered. Inside were towering heaps of gold, alongside a dazzling array of rare and exotic treasures. The sheer abundance of riches left everyone in stunned silence. The loot filled seventy large carts, which were hauled out of the city to the Mongol encampment, and later transported to Hülegü’s headquarters in 
Tabriz.
Once the valuables had been seized, the Mongols turned their attention to Musta'sim's 
harem. Over a thousand 
slaves and more than 700 
concubines lived there. Hülegü allowed Musta'sim to select 100 concubines to keep; the rest were distributed among the Mongol generals and noyons as rewards. Now, with the city and all his wealth firmly in Mongol hands, Hülegü initially planned to pardon the people of Baghdad. But an unexpected assassination attempt would change both his mind and the fate of the city.
Massacre
During the process of accepting surrenders, an arrow suddenly shot from the minaret of a mosque in Baghdad, striking and killing a Mongol commander right beside Hülegü. His warhorse, startled by the incident, nearly threw him off. The attack enraged Hülegü. In a fury, he ordered the immediate execution of the surrendered generals, along with their entire families. All prisoners of war who had been slated for mercy were now to be killed—no exceptions.
As for the remaining soldiers and civilians of Baghdad who were being registered outside the city, the Mongol troops regrouped them into four columns. Except for 2,000 
skilled artisans selected for their 
utility, everyone else was 
slaughtered. It was a massacre of staggering scale. The Mongols' 
Christian allies from 
Georgia and 
Armenia were especially zealous in the bloodshed. For seven days straight, the killing continued. The Tigris River reportedly turned red with blood, with red waters that flowed all the way down to the 
Persian Gulf. Another saying was that the river turned black due to the ink of all the manuscripts thrown into it. Large sections of the city were destroyed along with the canals and dykes forming the city's irrigation system.
Hundreds of thousands were slaughtered. As for the exact number, 
historians have long debated it, but there is no doubt that Baghdad paid a horrific price in blood. It was the darkest, most tragic chapter in the city's long and storied history. Hugelu initially considered sparing al-Mustasim's life, but the Georgians and Armenians who were suppressed by the Islamic empire convinced him that al-Mustasim should executed.
The exact manner of his execution remains a matter of historical dispute. One version claims Hülegü locked the Caliph inside a chamber overflowing with gold and jewels, denying him food and water, mockingly telling him to eat his treasures. Thus, the Caliph starved to death amidst his own unimaginable wealth. Another account says the Mongols wrapped him in a thick rug and threw him onto the road, leaving him to be trampled to death by galloping warhorses, ensuring that his blood would not be spilled on the earth, in accordance with Mongol customs.
And so, on 10 February 1258, after nearly 500 years, Abbasid Baghdad, once the beating heart of the Islamic Golden Age—was utterly and finally destroyed. The sack of Baghdad put an end to the Abbasid Caliphate, a blow from which the 
Islamic civilization never fully recovered.
Relationships
Friends
Abbasid Caliphate - My father who created me, also made me most important.
Tang Dynasty - I don't know much about this distant trader but he gives me fine materials and decorations.
Enemies
Mongol Empire - Savages who killed all my people and destroyed all my civilization. I was ready to surrender, it wasn't my fault that someone tried to assassinate you!
Ilkhanate - His second in command.
Georgia & 
Armenia - Supporters of the savage! REMOVE 
CHRISTIAN!!!
How to draw
Abbasid Baghdad has a drawing rating of intermediate.
- Draw a ball.
- Fill it with black.
- Draw a white hollow square tipped on its point in the middle.
- Draw some stylized Arabic calligraphy or patterns in the bottom of the tipped square, in white
- Add eyes and done.
| Color Name | HEX | |
|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | |
| White | #FFFFFF | |
