630 – 640s

Events in the 630s 2

• 633 – 651 Muslim conquest of Persia Islam replaces Zoroastrianism as the dominant faith The Arab Muslim armies overthrew the Sasanian Empire between 633 and 651, ending over a thousand years of Persian imperial religion. Islam gradually replaced Zoroastrianism, but Persian language and culture survived and would deeply shape Islamic civilisation.
• 636 – 642 Arab conquests -- Syria, Palestine and Egypt lost Within a decade of Muhammad's death, Arab armies defeat the Byzantines at the Yarmouk (636) and conquer Syria, Palestine and Egypt (by 642). These are the wealthiest, most populous provinces of the empire -- their loss is a catastrophic blow to Byzantine power, wealth and identity from which the empire never fully recovers.