Al-Mustansir (Baghdad)


Al-Mustansir Bi'llah was the penultimate Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 1226 to 1242. He succeeded Caliph Az-Zahir in the year 1226.

Biography

Al-Mustansir was born in Baghdad on 1192. On his father's death in 1226 he has succeeded his father Az-Zahir as the thirty-sixth Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. Al-Mustansir died on 5 December 1242. His son Al-Musta'sim succeeded him as the thirty-seventh Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Al-Mustansir established Mustansiriya Madrasah in 1227. It is one of the oldest universities in the world. The Madrasa taught many different subjects, including medicine, math, literature, grammar, philosophy and Islamic religious studies. However, the major focus of education was in Islamic law. It became the most prominent and high-ranking center for Islamic studies in all of Baghdad. Madrasas during the Abbasid period were used as the predominant instrument to foster the spread of Islamic thought as well as a way to extend the founder's pious ideals. The architecture of the Madrasa was also an important example of Islamic architectural development in Baghdad. The Madrasa has experienced several periods of decline and reemergence throughout its history. The most significant degradation to the Madrasa's architecture and position within Baghdad, was the Mongol Siege of Baghdad. Today, the Madrasa is in a state of restoration as is it being overseen by the Directorate of Antiquities in Iraq. It is currently a part of the Al-Mustansiriya University, and is located on the left bank of the Tigris River, the building survived the Mongol sack of 1258, and has been restored. Nearby buildings included the Saray souq, the Baghdadi Museum, Mutanabbi Street, the Abbasid Palace and Caliph's Street.