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Historical map · 1000

Map of the Middle East in 1000

In 1000, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 18 states, empires and other polities in the Middle East. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Fatimid Caliphate, the Ghaznavid Empire and the Buyid Dynasty.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East in 1000. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

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States and empires in the Middle East in 1000

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Fatimid Caliphate Wikipedia1.5 million km²1.9 million km²911–1176
Ghaznavid Empire Wikipedia1.3 million km²2.1 million km²962–1209
Buyid Dynasty Wikipedia1.1 million km²1.1 million km²750–1259
Byzantine Empire Wikipedia797,000 km²864,000 km²633–1474
Hamdanid Emirates Wikipedia399,000 km²399,000 km²936–1259
Ziyadid dynasty Wikipedia216,000 km²216,000 km²866–1138
Makuria Wikipedia213,000 km²213,000 km²347–1518
Oghuz Turks Wikipedia143,000 km²414,000 km²666–1055
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
First Bulgarian Empire Wikipedia115,000 km²281,000 km²682–1017
Seljuk Dynasty Wikipedia85,000 km²292,000 km²990–1039
Georgia Wikipedia61,000 km²61,000 km²567–2024
Bagratid Armenia Wikipedia53,000 km²53,000 km²886–1045
Shirvan Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²825–1539
Kingdom of Vaspurakan Wikipedia41,000 km²41,000 km²911–1027
Zagwe dynasty Wikipedia15,000 km²15,000 km²947–1271
Kara-Khanids Wikipedia14,000 km²919,000 km²850–1138
Qarmatians Wikipedia6,710 km²6,710 km²899–1071

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 900

New on the map: Fatimid Caliphate, Ghaznavid Empire, Hamdanid Emirates, Seljuk Dynasty, Kingdom of Vaspurakan, Zagwe dynasty, Kara-Khanids.

Gone from the map: Alliance between Samanid Empire and Ziyadid dynasty, Tulunids, Kingdom of Axum, Khazaria, Sajid Dynasty, Zaydi Alid dynasties, Kingdom of the Iberians, Cyprus Condominium, Emirate of Crete, Principality of Hungary.

What comes next: 1100

Appear by 1100: Great Seljuk Empire, Khwarezmid Dynasty, Najahid Dynasty, Kimek-Kipchak confederation, Sultanate of Rum, Uyunid Emirate, Danishmendids, Kingdom of Georgia, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, County of Edessa, Kingdom of Jerusalem, Principality of Antioch, Halych-Volhynia occupation, Zurayid dynasty.

Gone by 1100: Buyid Dynasty, Oghuz Turks, First Bulgarian Empire, Seljuk Dynasty, Georgia, Bagratid Armenia, Shirvan, Kingdom of Vaspurakan, Kara-Khanids, Qarmatians.

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the Middle East in 1000?

The map data draws 18 states and other polities in the Middle East in 1000. The largest by land were the Fatimid Caliphate, the Ghaznavid Empire, the Buyid Dynasty, the Byzantine Empire and Hamdanid Emirates.

What was the largest empire in the Middle East in 1000?

Of the states on this map, the Ghaznavid Empire held the most land in total: about 2.1 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the Middle East in 1000 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1000, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Middle East in other years

Other regions in 1000