ht to light by Casiri (b. 1710, d. 1791) during
the past, and by Gayangos during the present century, and it is
doubtful if much more will ever now be discovered.

There are two buildings still extant in Spain which have survived the
Arabs, viz., their mosque at Cordova (now the Cathedral), and their
palace of the Alhambra at Granada, both well worth a visit, and well
described in Murray's and O'Shea's guides to Spain. During the reign
of Abd-ar-Rahman III. (A.D. 912-961) the city, palace, and gardens of
Medinatu-z-Ahra, three or four miles from Cordova, were constructed in
honour of his favourite wife or mistress, Az-zahra, and cost an
immense sum of money. At present no vestiges of them exist, and it is
supposed that not only these, but many other Arab mosques and
buildings, were intentionally destroyed by their conquerors, as the
hatred between the Christian and the Muslim in those days was of the
bitterest description.

And now to return to the Abbasides, established in the East on the
downfall of the Omaiyide dynasty there in A.D. 750, and thus continue
the main line of Arab history.

There were, in all, thirty-seven Abbaside Khalifs, of whom Abu Jaafar,
surnamed Al-Mansur, the Victorious (A.D. 754-775), Harun-ar-Rashid
(A.D. 786-809), and Al-Mamun (A.D. 812-833) were the most celebrated.
Of these, the first, who was the second Khalif, founded Baghdad, the
capital of the Abbasides, about A.D. 762; the second, who was the
fifth Khalif, has been rendered immortal by the frequent illusions to
him, and to members of the Barmeki family, in the 'Arabian Nights';
while the third, who was the seventh Khalif, was a great patron of
literature and science.

As years rolled on the dynasty and its princes became weaker and
weaker, and finally came to an end under the thirty-seventh and last
Khalif Al-Mustaa 'sim Billah, with the capture of Baghdad in A.D. 1258
by Halaku Khan, the sovereign of the Mughals, and the grandson of
Jenghiz Khan.

Long before this, however, the empire which the first of the Abbasides
had conquered was already broken up. About A.D. 879, in Persia,
Amr-bin-Lais founded the Suffary or Braiser dynasty, still subject to
the Commander of the Faithful. But even this allegiance only lasted
till A.D. 901, when the Samani and Dailami dynasties were established
in the North and South of Persia respectively, and quite independent
of the Khalifs of Baghdad.

In A.D. 909, the Fatimites, so designated from on