Islamic Golden Age

750 CE-1258 CE

What is a golden age?
The arts, medicine, science, and
philosophy flourish.
Ancient Islamic
scholars learning
from a teacher
Islamic Golden Age
In 750 CE, the Abbasid
rulers move the capital
from Damascus to
Baghdad.
This move marks the
beginning of Islamic
Golden age.
The arts, medicine, science,
literature, architecture and
mathematics prosper
during this time.

Dome of the Rock
was completed in
691 CE
Key Word
AbbasidsOverthrew Ummayyad
caliphate in 750 CE and ruled until
1258 CE.
Baghdad and Mecca become cultural and
intellectual centers for Islamic empire.

Why do you
think Baghdad
and Mecca
became
cultural and
intellectual
centers for the
Abbasid
empire?
Discuss with
your partner.
Key Word
MeccaBirthplace of Muhammad, site
of his revelations, and the holiest city
for all Muslims.
Merchant Economy and
Agricultural Economy
Merchant economyThe primary income stems
from trading goods such as spices, cloth, jewelry,
pottery, cookware, and so on.
Agricultural economyThe primary income comes
from farming production instead of relying
primarily on trade.
13
th

Century
Islamic
Ship
Medieval
Islamic Coin
Merchant Economy Brings
People Together
Many cities of the Abbasids
empire become trading
centers, such as Mecca,
Medina, and Baghdad.
Many ideas and philosophies
converge on these cities.
Muslims go on
a pilgrimage
to the Kaba in
Mecca
House of Wisdom
Caliph al-Mam opened a center that was a library,
academy, and translation center.
People of all cultures and religions worked side by
side to translate the works into Arabic and preserve
knowledge from Mesopotamia, Greece, India, and
many more places.
Scholars studying
at the House of
Wisdom
What knowledge would you
preserve from today if you built
your own House of Wisdom?
Answer the question in a written
conversation with your partner.
Pause and Think
Medical Advances
Abu al-Qasim is the forefather
of modern surgery.
Invented many surgical tools,
such as the surgical needle.
The first public hospitals and
mental asylums were built in
Damascus.
Abu Bakar al-Razi made the
observation about harmful
bacteria being connected to
sickness and the importance
of using antiseptic.
Muslim physician
and patient
Mathematics and
Astronomy
Development of algebra, geometry,
and trigonometry.
Updated the ways and means that
scientists measured the cosmos.
Many stars today still have their
Arabic names from this period.
Muhammad bin Musa
Al-Khwarizmi was a
Muslim astronomer
who is called the
father of algebra
Science
Ibn al-Haytham developed
and refined the scientific
method that is still in use
today.
He was a pioneer in optics.
OpticsScience that deals
with light, where it comes
from, and how it changes.
He made many pioneering
discoveries about the way the
eye receives light.
The observations of
the eye as recorded
by al-Haythem
around 1200 CE
Islamic Art
A variety of arts flourished during the Abbasid
empire
Painting
Architecture
Pottery
Lusterware glazing was created around 900 BC
LusterwareA gold shine on a pot that was created
by other elements, but no gold was used.
Literature

Calligraphy
Compare and Contrast
Bowl from Abbasids Empire Bowl from Greece
Both are from the same time period
Exit Ticket
On your 3x5 card, write one thing
you learned and one question that
you have.