1. Muslim Innovations and Adaptations
History Alive Chapter 9
Muslim Innovations and Adaptations

2. 9.3 City Building and Architecture
Development of new cities developed Muslim lands
New architecture
Jobs

3. City of Baghdad
Caliph al-Mansur moved capital from Damascus to Baghdad
Closer to his empire
Today, Baghdad located between Tigris & Euphrates River
Crossroads of trade roots connecting the empire

4. City of Baghdad Glorious Muslim cities 4 years to build new capital
100,000 architects, workers and craftspeople
Called “the round city”

5. The Mosque Muslim house of worship Inside is a prayer room
Worshippers sit on carpets on the floor
Imam gives the sermon from a raised pulpit called the minibar
Niche in the wall to show direction of prayer toward Makkah

6. 9.4 Scholarship & Learning
Highly valued
Arabic was accepted language of Islam
Shared language and love of learning allowed scholars (students) in Europe, North Africa & the Middle East to exchange ideas

7. Scholarship & Learning: House of Wisdom
Baghdad became a major center of learning
Caliph al-Ma’mun founded the House of Wisdom (830)
Scholars from many lands gather there to do research
Translated texts from Greece, Persia, India & China

8. Scholarship & Learning: Great Centers of Learning
Fatimid dynasty built the Cairo capital in Egypt (similar to Baghdad)
Most advanced university in the Muslim world
Hall of Wisdom – scholars and ordinary people can visit their library to read
Muslim capital, Cordoba in Spain became a large and wealthy city
Jews, Christian, & Muslims studied there

9. Scholarship & Learning
Philosopher – scholar, teacher or thinker who seeks knowledge
Muslims studied books & ancient Greek thinkers, such as the philosophers:
Plato
Aristotle
Muslim philosophers used reason & logic (common sense) to try to prove important truths

10. Scholarship & Learning: Al-Kindi
Al-Kindi – a 9th century Arab philosopher
Said “Humans had two sources of knowledge: reason & revelation by God”
Use reason to understand faith
Some truths are knows only through God’s word
need to be belief in things that cannot be proven

11. Scholarship & Learning: Ibn Sina
Ibn Sina – Persian who is Islam’s most famous philosopher
Known as Avicenna in Europe
Believed all knowledge came from God
Truth can be known through revelation & reason
Believed soul was immortal (able to live forever)
Translated & influenced many medieval European thinkers

12. 9.5 Science & Technology
Qur’an instructed Muslims to learn more about the world God made
Muslims advanced in science & technology

13. Science & Technology: Zoology
Evolution – slow process of change in plants and animals from simpler forms to more complex forms
Zoology – scientific study of animals
Books written on structure of animals’ bodies
Studied how to make medicines from animals’ parts
al-Jahiz presented theories about the evolution of animals
Created zoos

14. Science & Technology: Astronomy
Astronomy – study of objects in the universe
Muslims wanted to learn about the universe
Navigational tools created to locate the direction of Makkah
Worshippers far from the holy city can pray facing the right direction
Found accurate times for prayer and the length of the month of Ramadan
Realized Earth rotates rather than the Earth being the center of the universe

15. Science & Technology: Irrigation & Underground Wells
Water was scarce & land was hot and dry
Build dams & aqueducts
Improved canals & underground wells
Used water wheels to bring water up from canals & reservoirs