640 – 650s

Events in the 640s 1

• 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.