Iraq Timeline Part II: "Islamic Iraq"

637 AD
The Islamic-Arab army conquers the territory of Iraq. At the time of the Arab conquest most Iraqi tribes and communities belong to the Christian faith. Over the years, just as they adopt the Arabic language as their own, the peoples living in the region of Iraq begin to convert to Islam. The definitive victory of the Arabs over the Persians comes at the battle of al-Qadisyah in 636. Saddam Hussein later calls upon the imagery of the al-Qadisyah campaign to justify his war against Persian Iran in 1980.

661 AD
Ali, the step son of Muhammad and revered figure in Shia Islam, is murdered. The break between the Shia and Sunni Muslims starts with the death of Muhammad in 661. Many rally around his stepson Ali to become the successor. The Islamic leadership passes over Ali. Eventually, this argument over the leadership of Islam is enough to cause a split in the Islamic community. Shia trace their religious heritage back to Muhammad and Ali, while the Sunni trace their heritage back to Muhammad and the Islamic Caliphs. Iraq is unique in the fact that it has an almost equal numbers of Shia and Sunni Muslims, which has been the source of internal conflict.

760 AD
Abo al Abbas becomes the first Caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, whose power is centered in its Baghdad capital. For a long period, Baghdad is the political, cultural and intellectual center of the Arab world. During Abbasid rule, Muhammad al-Khawarizmi, a Baghdad intellectual, invents the algorithm, algebra and a remarkable map of the known world. Combing Greek philosophy and Islamic religious principles, the scholars of Baghdad help pave the way for a new era in the Middle East.

1258 AD
Baghdad falls to Mongol invaders.

1533 AD
The territory of Iraq is conquered by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The territory will remain under Ottoman control for several centuries, with brief interludes of Safavid and Mamluke authority.