Umayyad Rule Begins in Damascus

Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan establishes a new capital in Damascus, opening nearly a century of Umayyad rule.

The year 661 is remembered as Aam al Jamaah, the year of unity, when the community came together under Muawiyah after years of conflict. The Umayyads built a far reaching administration from Damascus, and under their rule the realm stretched from the Atlantic coast to Central Asia. Historians differ in assessing this transition, and it is presented here in neutral terms.