At first,
the
expanding
Arab
Empire
was ruled
from
Medinah.
In 661/40
the
Ummayad
family took
control of
& made
Damascus
the capital.
Almost 100
years later
in the
740s/120s,
the
Abbassids
defeated
the
Ummayads
in a civil
war.
Should
they have
a different
city as
their
capital?
Damascus
-the base
of the
Ummayad
family -has
a
magnificent
and large
mosque
-ex-capital
of Syria &
an
important
city of the
Byzantine
Empire
-had been
an
important
city for
3000 years
-fertile
farming
area -well
established
capital with
lots of
expert
government
officials.
Mecca
-the most
holy city of
Islam -the
birthplace
of
Muhammad*
-in a safe
place if the
frontiers
were ever
attacked
-in a
desert all
food needs
importing
-could only
support a
small
population
Baghdad
-at the
moment a
village but
ready for
development
& planning a
new city
-fertile area
because of
the annual
flooding
from the
Tigris &
Euphrates
rivers
-rivers
provide
trade links
with the
east & west
of the
empire
-good water
supply to
town from
rivers