Abd Ar-Rahman III, 891 - 961AD, Caliph of Cordoba, was a famous ruler of the Umayyad dynasty of Spain. He ruled from 912 and proclaimed himself caliph in 929. Under him the Umayyad] emirate reached the peak of its power, extending its boundaries in successful campaigns against the Fatimids in Northern Africa and the Christian kings of León and Navarra. He made Islamic Spain a cultural center of the world and his capital Cordoba the largest city in Europe.