## Abbasid Period The [[Abbasid Period]], which spanned from 750 to 1258, was founded by Ebu'l Abbas Seffah, a descendant of Abbas bin Abdulmutalip, who was the uncle of Prophet Muhammad. The dynasty came to an abrupt end when the [[Ilkhanids]] captured Baghdad in 1258, although it did survive in a diminished form in Cairo until 1517 under the auspices of the Mamluks. The [[Abbasid Period|Abbasid era]] was a time of great cultural and intellectual growth, particularly in the fields of city planning, architecture, ceramic art, and calligraphy. Its influence wasn't confined to its time; it set a new style and became a vital source for later periods in Islamic and global history. One of the crowning achievements of this period was the House of Knowledge in Baghdad, also known as Beytü'l Hikme. This esteemed institution housed a vast collection of literature in various languages, including Syriac, Farsi, Greek, Hindi, Hebrew, Pehlvish, and Chaldean. Many of these works were translated into Arabic, fostering an environment of cultural exchange and intellectual vigor.^[*Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul*]