Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan
Governor of Syria for many years before he became caliph. Founded the dynasty.
Era 2 of 12 · Station two
The Umayyads
In 661 CE the centre of the Muslim world shifts from Arabia to Damascus, an old city of gardens beside the Barada river. Muawiya, who had governed Syria for many years, becomes the sole caliph and founds a dynasty. For almost ninety years the Umayyads rule lands that stretch from Iberia in the west to the Indus in the east, and they make Arabic the language of the state.
Who led, and when
Six who shaped the era
The rulers who shaped the era, in order.
Abd al-Malik
Made Arabic the language of government and issued Islamic coinage. The Dome of the Rock was completed in his reign.
Al-Walid I
Great builder, including the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Armies reached Sindh, Central Asia and Iberia in his time.
Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
Remembered for justice, simple living and care for the poor.
Hisham
A long reign, remembered for firm government and campaigns on the frontiers.
Marwan II
The last Umayyad caliph. His armies were defeated by the Abbasids in 750.
The lands of the era
From Syria to Sindh
The Umayyad caliphate was one of the largest states of its age, with roads and a postal service linking its provinces. Its armies and governors reached from the Atlantic coast to the Indus.
- SyriaHeartland, with Damascus as capital
- North AfricaConquered westward to the Atlantic
- IberiaKnown as Al-Andalus from 711
- Central AsiaTransoxiana, beyond the Oxus river
- SindhLower Indus valley, from 711–712
This map is a simple sketch to help you picture where events took place. Positions, distances and borders are approximate, so please use it for reference only, not as an accurate map.
At a glance
The era in six facts
The years, the people, the places, and what the era left behind.
- Years
- 661–750 CE661–750 CE, which is 41–132 AH, a span of about eighty-nine years under one ruling house.
- Rulers
- The Umayyad caliphs, from Muawiya to Marwan II, first the line of Sufyan and then the line of Marwan.
- Capital
- Damascus, in Syria, an ancient city that became the seat of the caliphs.
- Lands
- Syria, Egypt, North Africa, Iberia, Iraq, Persia, parts of Central Asia and Sindh.
- Turning points
- The first civil war ended in 661, Karbala came in 680, the Dome of the Rock was built, and conquests reached Iberia and Sindh.
- Legacy
- Arabic became the shared language of a vast region, and the Dome of the Rock and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus still stand.
Key moments
Six stops on the road
- 1Muawiya becomes sole caliphAfter the years of trial, the community comes together under Muawiya, and Damascus becomes the capital.
- 2KarbalaHusayn, the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, is killed on the plain of Karbala, a loss that Muslims mourn to this day.
- 3The Dome of the Rock is completedAbd al-Malik finishes the shrine on the Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem.
- 4Tariq crosses into IberiaA force from North Africa lands near Gibraltar, and the conquest of Al-Andalus begins.
- 5Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz becomes caliphHis short reign is remembered for justice and fairness.
- 6The end of the dynastyThe Abbasids defeat Marwan II, and rule passes from Damascus to a new house.
The chapters
Read the era, in six parts
Six short chapters take you through the era in order.
- 01Muawiya and the capital at Damascus661–680The first Umayyad caliph builds a lasting government in Syria.Read
- 02Karbala and the second civil war680–692The death of Husayn, and a decade of rival claims to the caliphate.Read
- 03Abd al-Malik, the Dome of the Rock and Arabic as the language of state685–705A new coinage, a new shrine and one language for government.Read
- 04Al-Walid and the far horizons: Sindh, Central Asia and Iberia705–715Armies reach the edges of the known world.Read
- 05Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz717–720A short reign remembered for justice, fair taxes and care for the poor.Read
- 06The fall of the Umayyads744–750Unrest in the provinces, the Abbasid revolution and the end of the dynasty.Read
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Sources
Sources for this era
The books, lectures and maps behind this page are listed on our Sources page.
- Classical history
- Modern study
- Lecture series
- Map & atlas
How we choose sources
Classical histories first, checked against trusted modern scholarship. Approximate dates carry a “c.”
Athar’s sources