Abbasid Architecture

Abbasid architecture developed under the Abbasid Caliphate between 750 and 1258, primarily in its heartland of Iraq. The change of dynasty from the Umayyads brought a political and cultural shift that moved the center of power to Mesopotamia, displacing the earlier influence of classical and Byzantine models in favor of local Mesopotamian and Persian ones, and the Abbasids developed distinctive styles of their own, especially during their period of greatest power and prosperity between 750 and 932. A defining characteristic of the style in Iraq was its extensive use of stucco and plaster decoration in interior spaces, a response to the limited local availability of high-quality building stone that made malleable materials well suited to repetitive, abstract ornament.