Aghlabids

The Aghlabid dynasty (Arabic: الأغالبة) was an Arab dynasty that ruled Ifriqiya from 800 to 909, nominally as vassals of the Abbasid Caliphate. During this time, they also conquered Sicily, Malta, parts of southern Italy, and possibly Sardinia. The dynasty originated from the tribe of Banu Tamim and was founded by Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab, who was appointed by the Abbasid caliph in 800 to rule this province.

The Aghlabids adhered to the Mu'tazilite rationalist doctrine within Hanafi Sunni Islam, which they imposed as the state doctrine of Ifriqiya. They sponsored the construction of mosques and civic infrastructure, major examples of which have survived to the present day as some of the oldest Islamic-era monuments in the region. Their rule ended when they were conquered by the new power of the Fatimids in 909.