Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
castles also served as staging posts for pilgrimages to Mecca, and along trade routes to
Damascus and Baghdad - never underestimate the luxury of a hot bath in the desert!
UMAYYADS? WHO WERE THEY?
If you had to guess the seventh-largest empire (and fifth-largest contiguous empire) the world has ever known,
chances are you wouldn't think of the Umayyads. So why is it that this critically important dynasty, central to the
modern shape of Islam and responsible for building some of the best loved expressions of Arab culture, are so unfa-
miliar to those outside the region? It could well be because they belong to a Middle Eastern history, so often at odds
with the crusading history of Western nations. It could be because the 8th century AD is generally associated, cor-
rectly or incorrectly, with the unenlightened 'Dark Ages' which tends to cast a long shadow over neighbouring cul-
tures. Or it could be because the name 'Umayyad' just doesn't roll off the tongue.
Whatever the reason for their appalling lack of press in Western consciousness, the Umayyads deserve the odds to
be evened up a little. So, in the interests of fair play, here's a few fast facts to help understand who the Umayyads
were and why they were important.
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When were the Umayyads around?
AD 661-750, in the early days of Islam
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This huge empire of theirs, where was it?
From Portugal and Morocco in the west to Arabia and Persia in the
east - about 9% of the world's land area
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So how big is that?
13 million sq km
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How many people were governed by this empire?
At the time, around 30% of the world's population
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Where was the capital?
Damascus
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What was their impact on Islam?
Both positive and negative: they implemented a campaign of mass conver-
sions to Islam but their dynasty was largely responsible for the damaging Sunni-Shiite split
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How were they regarded in their day?
The minority Shiite resented the schism they caused by failing to up-
hold Prophet Mohammed's bloodline
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But the Sunnis supported them, presumably?
Not exactly. Public Sunni opinion was that the Umayyad rulers
were dim-witted sinners, preoccupied with earthly delights
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Is this what caused their demise?
Partly; in 747 a rebellion of dissatisfied subjects on the fringe of the empire,
combined with a huge earthquake in the region, led to a takeover of the empire by Shiite forces (known as the Ab-
basids) from Persia in 750
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Are they remembered today?
Yes! The Umayyads established Arabic as the administrative language of the
Middle East, their pan-Arab approach is used by nationalists to evoke an Arab Golden Age, and their association
with the colour white is reflected in most modern flags of Arab countries
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Any other cultural legacies?
They built the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the Umayyad Mosque in
Damascus, two of the great icons of Islamic art
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What was their significance in the area we now call Jordan?
The string of hunting lodges, bathhouses and
pleasure palaces known collectively as the 'desert castles' were built by the Umayyads - festive expressions of their
creative and exuberant reign
