Umayyad

The Umayyad Dynasty (ummawiyy) was the first dynasty of caliphs of the Prophet Muhammad who were not closely related to Muhammad himself, though they were of the same Makkan clan. The first dynasty reigned from 661 to 750.

Muawiyah had been the governor of Syria under the 3rd and 4th caliphs, Uthman ibn Affan and Ali Ben Abu Talib. He fought and killed Ali in Egypt in 661 and declared himself caliph of Islam. He founded the dynasty and set the capitol to Damascus.

The Umayyads were overthrown in the east by the Abbasid dynasty. An Umayyad prince, Abd-ar-rahman I, took over the Muslim territory in Spain and founded a new Umayyad dynasty there.

The Umayyad Caliphs

Umayyad Emirs of Cordoba Umayyad Caliphs of Cordoba See also History of Islam, Caliphate