Episode Details

Harun al-Rashid presided over the Abbasid Caliphate at its peak, turning Baghdad into the intellectual capital of the world. He funded the House of Wisdom, exchanged envoys with Charlemagne, and inspired the legendary figure in One Thousand and One Nights. Behind the splendor lay a reign marked by purges and war.

This episode separates the historical caliph from his literary legend and examines how Baghdad's golden age flourished alongside political violence.

• How Baghdad became the largest and most cultured city in the world
• The destruction of the Barmakid family and what it revealed about his power
• His wars against the Byzantine Empire and internal revolts
• How One Thousand and One Nights transformed him into a mythic figure