Assassin's Creed Mirage: 9th Century Baghdad Facts

Highlights

Baghdad, the setting of Assassin's Creed Mirage , was the bustling capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and a major center of commerce, culture, and learning during the 9th century.
The Mongol invasion in 1258 caused the destruction of valuable historical and scholarly works, including the famous House of Wisdom, resulting in the loss of much of the city's history.
Baghdad was strategically located for trade, being at the intersection of multiple trade routes, which is reflected in the game through opulent wealth, diverse goods, and even a mission involving Chinese artifacts.

Assassin's Creed Mirage takes place in the bustling 9th-century city of Baghdad, where protagonist Basim Ibn Ishaq grew up as a street thief. Baghdad, the current capital of Iraq, was initially a small trading town before the emerging Abbasid Caliphate of the mid-8th century, decided to transform it into its seat of power and the center of the medieval Muslim world.

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By the time Assassin's Creed Mirage takes place in the second half of the 9th century, the Caliph Al-Mansur's dream had long been realized and Baghdad was the crowning jewel of the Arabic Golden Age. A center of commerce, religion, culture, and science, the so-called City of Peace was the largest city in the world. Players looking to learn more about the historic city will be glad to know that the game has its own inbuilt history lessons via the codex.

6 Ruled By The Abbasid Caliphate

9th Century Baghdad was ruled by the Abbasid Caliphate, a dynasty that could trace its ancestry back to the uncle of the prophet Muhammad. Before the 10th century when their primacy was challenged, the Abbasids could be considered heads of Islam, making Baghdad a major component of the religion.

By the time of the events of Assassin's Creed Mirage, the luxurious Golden Gate Palace was no longer used as a residence by the Caliph and his family, as the City of Samarra was the capital during this time. However, this doesn't mean that players will not be able to explore the palace themselves.

5 Much Of The History Was Lost

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Unfortunately, when the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258 they had just as much disregard for the history and scholarly work of Baghdad as they had for the human lives they took. The famed House of Wisdom, and other libraries and places of learning, were destroyed by the Mongols, depriving the world of countless works, doubtless including histories of the city.

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Today, due to successive conflicts and many other reasons, little of the architecture from the Abbasid reign survives. This means that in many cases, Ubisoft has had to fill in the gaps, and so players should be aware that while all the details are as authentic to the time as possible, the exact layout of the city likely wasn't quite what is shown in the game.

4 Perfectly Positioned For Trade

When the Caliph Al-Mansur chose the location for the new capital of the Arabic world, he couldn't have chosen a better place for trade. Previously a small market town, Baghdad was perfectly positioned in the middle of multiple trade routes with the Byzantine Empire and Egypt to the west, China to the east, and the Arabian Peninsula to the south.

As players traverse Baghdad in Assassin's Creed Mirage they will notice the opulent wealth of their surroundings and the diversity of the goods being sold in the markets, in other words, the product of Baghdad's successful trade. There is even a small mission that involves Chinese artifacts on display in the Bazaar.

3 A Center Of Learning

Medieval Baghdad was the center of many things, but perhaps most importantly it was a center of learning, and not just in the Arabic world. With the adopted use of paper, the acceptance of scholars from around the world who brought their culture, languages, and faiths with them, and the patronage of the elite, Baghdad can be said to have spurred an intellectual revolution.

At the heart of the scholarly world of Baghdad, was the House of Wisdom, which appears to have been both a library and academy where scholars could learn, translate, debate, and push new ideas forward. Players will be able to visit Ubisoft's interpretation of the House of Wisdom in the game.

2 A City Of Many Faiths, Not Just Islam

One of the many differences between the Abbasid and previously ruling Umayyad Caliphates was that the Abbasids were not only more accepting of non-Arab Muslims but also of people of other faiths entirely. At the end of the day, the best of the best were wanted for all roles within the city and wider empire, from bureaucrats and merchants to engineers and more.

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Scholars from around the medieval world in particular were encouraged to converge on Baghdad and share the works of their culture and faith, and it was perhaps this that allowed the scholarly circles of Baghdad to achieve so much. Players will see people of other faiths as they explore the game.

1 The Anarchy At Samarra

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Although Baghdad was known as the City of Peace, the time period in which Assassin's Creed Mirage is set was far from the most peaceful years of the Arabic Golden Age. The game is mostly set during the so-called Anarchy at Samarra, a time of frequent and violent power shuffles from 861 to 870.

After the murder of the reigning Caliph in 861, the following nine years saw four different Caliphs ascend to power, often as the result of assassination. Naturally, the period of instability is the perfect backdrop for a stealth-based game.