Harun al-Rashid

If not for the support of a clever mother and his association with talented friends, Harun al-Rashid might never have risen to become caliph. But that's exactly what he did, and he established a splendid court at Baghdad that would inspire some of the tales in The Thousand and One Nights. Find out more about Harun al-Rashid in his Who's Who Profile.

• Follow me on Twitter
• Visit me on Facebook