Timeline of Major Arab-Islamic Civilizations: Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid & Ottoman
This chart reveals the remarkable temporal and geographic overlap between four major Islamic civilizations spanning 12 centuries. The Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE) was shortest-lived but achieved the widest territorial expansion from China to Spain. The Abbasid (750-1258 CE) and Fatimid (909-1171 CE) states coexisted for over two centuries competing for Islamic legitimacy. The Ottoman Empire (1299-1922 CE) was the longest-lasting at 623 years, formally inheriting the caliphate in 1517 CE. The greatest geographic overlap occurred between Abbasids and Fatimids in Egypt and the Levant.
