Abul-Abbas was an Asian elephant that was gifted to the Carolingian emperor Charlemagne by the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid. This gift symbolized the beginning of Abbasid–Carolingian relations. Abul-Abbas was probably born during the 770s or 790s and was brought from Baghdad, the capital city of the Abbasid Caliphate, by Charlemagne's diplomat Isaac the Jew. The elephant's journey from the Middle East to Europe was a significant event, and his arrival was heralded in advance to Charlemagne. Abul-Abbas was a full-grown adult elephant when he arrived in Europe.
The elephant's life and events are recorded in the Carolingian Annales regni Francorum, and he is mentioned in Einhard's Vita Karoli Magni. However, no references to the gift or to interactions with Charlemagne have been found in Abbasid records. Abul-Abbas died in the year 810, while Charlemagne was on a campaign intending to engage with King Godofrid of Denmark. The exact location of his death is a matter of conjecture, but it is believed to have been near the city of Wesel.
