1. Word ListTimeline ‘Abbasid Absolutism (750-945) Shi‘i Century (945-1055) BaghdadRiver Tigris Sawad hadithshari‘a (Islamic Law) 750-54 Reign of al-Saffah. 754-75 Reign of al-Mansur. 786-809 Reign of Harun al-Rashid.

2. Word ListTimeline dhimmis (non- Muslims under Muslim rule) Bayt al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) Khurasan Sufis 809-13 Reign of al-Amin. 811-13 Civil war. 813-33 Reign of al-Ma’mun. 833-42 Reign of al-Mu‘tasim.

3. Word ListTimeline Sawad al-Muwaffaq khariji 836 Caliphate moves to Samarra. 847-61 Reign of al-Mutawakkil 869-70 Reign of al-Muhtadi. 870-92 Reign of al-Mu‘tamid

4. Word ListTimeline Bahrayn Qarmatians Daylam Mu‘izz al-Dawla Ahmad ibn Buya amir al-umara’ 891-902 Reign of al-Mu‘tadid. 892 Caliphate returns to Baghdad. 930-51 Qarmatians hold Black Stone. 945 Buyids take Baghdad.

5. Word ListTimeline Buyids shahanshah‘Ali ibn Abi Talib imam (spiritual leader) ithna‘asharis/”Twelvers”/Imamis mahdi (fore-ordained leader) 991-1031 Reign of al-Qadir.

6. Word ListTimeline Ghaznavids Saljuqs/Seljüks 1055 Saljuqs/Seljüks take Baghdad.

7. Sulphur OchreVinegar Metallic Oxides Creating Lustreware

8. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Mosque of Mutawakkil, or Great Mosque; Samarra (Iraq); view from the north. AD 848-852. (F) Mosque of Mutawakkil, or Great Mosque; Samarra (Iraq); Minaret and exterior wall, begun c. 847. (F) Mosque of Mutawakkil, or Great Mosque; Samarra (Iraq); Minaret and exterior wall, begun c. 847. (F [different view]) Ziggurat. (Livius.Org:.) Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Exterior view. Aerial view. (F) Minaret of Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun. (A)

9. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Exterior view. NE corner of Sahn (open court with fountain) with arcade and minaret. (F) Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Exterior view. Sanctuary arcade, west view (sanctuary is open to the north). Mosque for Ahmad Ibn Tulun (governor of Cairo from Baghdad). Mesopotamian influence. (F) Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Ornamental detail. Close detail of column capitals and decorative frieze. (F) Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Ornamental detail. Open court spandrel. (F) Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Ornamental detail. Decorative plasterwork. (F)

10. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Interior view. Mihrab and Minbar. (F) Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo. 876-879 AD. Ornamental detail. Outer detail. (F) Tomb of the Samanids Bukhara. The only surviving whole structure of the Samani period. 907 AD. (F) Ukhaidir, near Baghdad, 8th c AD; palace floor plan. (F) Ukhaidir, near Baghdad, 8th c AD; the palace. (F) Ukhaidir, near Baghdad, 8th c AD; entrance. (F)

11. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Ukhaidir, near Baghdad, 8th c AD; detail of the battlements of Ukhaidir. (F) Ukhaidir, near Baghdad, 8th c AD; south façade of the Court of Honor and Boundary wall. c. 774/775. (F) Ukhaidir, near Baghdad, 8th c AD; interior view of the stoa from the Ukhaidir palace mosque. (F) Ukhaidir, near Baghdad, 8th c AD; north façade of the Court of Honor, restored. (F)

12. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Earthenware dish: lustre painted abstract bird. Samarra (Iraq). Possibly Cygnus constellation? 9th c. 27cm. Source: Niall Christie, Private Collection: and. Earthenware dish: lustre painted abstract bird. Samarra (Iraq). Possibly Cygnus constellation? 9th c. 27cm. (F) Earthenware bowl: polychrome lustre: Iraq, 9th c. Twirling half palmettes. (F) Earthenware dish: vegetal decoration: lustre painted. Iraq, mid-9th c. 19cm. (F)

13. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Lustre-painted ceramic plate with floral palmettes. Inscription = li-Malikna(?) (for our king). 37.0cm. 9th c, Iraq. (F) Earthenware bowl, opaque white glaze painted blue: 9th c. Mesopotamia. 24cm. “Blessings to the owner, the work of Muhammad…” (F) Ceramic bowl from Iraq. 9th c. 19.7cm. Inscription = baraka. (F) Ceramic bowl, 19.7cm. 9th c Iraq. (F [side view]) Ceramic bowl with 6 petal blossom decoration. Indigenous. 9th c. Iraq. (F) Ceramic bowl showing 6 petal decoration. 9th c. Iraq. (F) Earthenware plate: Caliphal period, 10th c. (F)

14. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Earthenware bowl: brown and red slip painted. Iran. 10th c. 39cm in diameter. (F) Mystery object! 9th c. Egypt. (F) Glass goblet with applied decoration. 9th c, Iraq. Found in Fustat. (F) Moulded glass bowl in Roman style: 10th c. Egypt or Syria. (F) Mosaic glass vessel. 4.2cm. 9th c. Syria. (F) Glass beaker. Polychrome lustre. Damascus (?). 9th c. Kufic calligraphy: palmette-headed trees. (F) Glass bottle, relief cut. Iran-Iraq, 9-10th c. 15cm. Green overlay, clear glass. (F)

15. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Blue glass bowl. Iran. 9-10th c. Tri-lobed framing elements, split palmettes. (F) Mystery object! Glass. Eastern Mediterranean. 8th-9th c. (F) Brass ewer. 8-9th c. Iraq. (F) Brass/bronze ewer with engraved decoration. 9th c. Iran (but found in Egypt). (F) Mystery object! Iran, 9-10th c. (F) Mystery object! 8-9th c. Syria. (F) King being attended to. Gilt silver. Iran. 10th c. (F)

16. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Brass astrolabe. 17.5 cm. 10th c. (F) Celestial sphere. 11th c. (F) Andromeda from al-Sufi’s Book of Fired Stars. 1009. Ink and colour on paper. 26.3 x 18.2 cm. (F) Qur’an: Ibn al-Bawwab 1000-1. Brown ink, colour and gold on paper. 17.5 x 13.5 cm. (F) Qur’an. 1001 AD. Executed by Iraqi Calligrapher Ibn al-Bawwab. (F [cover pages]) Qur’an 8:41. Illuminated by al-Warraq. Eastern Kufi. 11th c. (F)

17. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet Yellow tiraz. Mulham: woven red silk, caliph al-Mu‘tadid: Iran: 896 AD. (F) White linen Tiraz, embr. Blue and yellow silk, caliph al-Mu‘tamid, Alexandria: 885/6 AD. (F) Tiraz fragment from a shawl, 10th century. Yemen. Cotton, ink, gold leaf; plain weave with painted decoration; 23 x 16 in. (58.4 x 40.6 cm). (Metropolitan Museum of Art:.) Textile fragment, late 10th century; ‘Abbasid. Probably Iraq. Cotton, plain weave with painted inscription; 9 x 14 in. (22.9 x 35.6 cm). (Metropolitan Museum of Art:.)