The Golden Age of Islam World History

Muslim Economy Merchants were honored in the Muslim world Between 750-1350 A.D. Muslims built a vast trading network throughout their empire and beyond. Common religion and language helped trade to thrive. Goods now traveled from China and India into parts of Europe by way of the Silk Road. The Silk Road was not really a road but a track people moved along to exchange goods such as silk, paper, gold, furs, cotton, and silver.

Manufacturing and Agriculture Most manufacturing was done by wage workers. They produced goods such as swords from Damascus, Persian carpets, leathers from Spain, and cotton goods from Egypt. Agriculture was practiced primarily in Mesopotamia and the Nile River Valley. Massive irrigation systems put in place by the Abbasids greatly increased the amount of farmable land

Muslim Art The Koran strictly banned idol worship and later religious leaders forbade artists from portraying human figures in their art. Therefore Muslims art consisted of elaborate geometry patterns. They also used calligraphy (the art of beautiful handwriting) extensively and used common phrases of the Koran in their art.

Muslim Architecture Muslim architecture borrowed techniques such as the arch and dome from Greek, and Roman structures. Around 690 A.D. Muslims built a great mosque in Jerusalem called the Dome of the Rock which demonstrates the use of Greek and Roman techniques. In 850 A.D. Muslims built the mosque at Samarra where they revolutionized the construction of minarets.

Arabic Literature The standard for Arabic literature is the Koran itself. Poetry had also been a long tradition among Arabs even before the time of Muhammad. Storytelling was prized by Arab writers. Many of their stories are still told today: Ali Baba and the 40 thieves Aladdin

Arabic Philosophy Muslim scholars translated the works of Greek philosophers as well as Hindu and Buddhist texts. They put a strong emphasis on combining Greek ideas of reason with religious beliefs of divine revelation. Other Muslim scholars put their knowledge to the test through the use of reason.

Mathematics Al-Khwarizmi Muslims got their foundation in math from studying Indian and Greek texts. The Arabic number system was developed and spread throughout the Islamic empire and is used to this day. (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) One Muslim scholar also developed al-jabr (algebra) which literally means, “restoring what is missing”

Muslim Medicine Muslims again built on the Greek knowledge of medicine. Public health in the Islamic world reached an astonishing height. Physicians had to pass medical exams before they could practice, and they built hospitals in major cities They had departments for quick treatment much like modern-day emergency rooms. Physicians also made regular visits to outlying neighborhoods and even jails to treat ill patients.

Muhammad Al-Razi Muslim Physicians Muhammad Al-Razi was one of the most renown and respected Muslim doctors in Baghdad around 900 A.D. He wrote texts that pioneered the study of measles and smallpox and developed the idea of treating the mind, not only the body. Equally famous was Ibn Sina, who wrote a text called Canon on Medicine. This book included all the Arabs and Greeks had learned about treating disease and had more than 4,000 prescriptions to treat diseases.