GREAT ISLAMIC CITIES: BAGHDAD

This is the first of a series of posts about great cities of the Muslims, from the past, of course. I'll mainly focus on the science and learning of these cities, and less on politics and military might. The reason is obvious, this blog is called "Lost Science." Given the recent turmoil in Iraq, I think it's suitable to start off with Baghdad. Baghdad is by far, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, cities of the Islamic Golden Age.

The region of Baghdad, then under Persian rule, was conquered by Khalid ibn Waleed (one of the only two generals in history to never have lost a battle) in 634 A.D. in the name of the Caliph of the time, Umar ibn Al-Khattab. During Umar's rule, two great neighboring cities shadowed the importance of Baghdad, Basrah and Kufah. Baghdad only became important in the 8th century under the Abbassid dynasty.

In about 762 A.D, the Abbasid family (tracing back to the prominent uncle of Prophet Muhammad) overthrew, frankly massacred, the Umayyed family (tracing back to another uncle of Prophet Muhammad) in a coup d'etat. The ruling Abbasids then moved the capital of the Caliphate from Damascus to Baghdad. From that point on, Baghdad flourished as the greatest city in the world until the Mongols ransacked the city, destroying its glory, never to have recovered again. 

Under the Abbasids, for five centuries, Baghdad would become the world's center of education and culture. This period in Islamic history is known as the "Golden Age." During this period, Muslims preserved and expanded the scientific knowledge of the world while Europe suffered under the "Dark Age." In Baghdad, they built great hospitals, libraries, museums, and mosques. However, the most prominent of these institutions was the Baytul Hikmah (The House of Wisdom), a place for research and scholastic excellence. An academy in its true sense. In this Academy, translators, scientists, scribes, authors, men of letters, writers, authors, copyists and others used to meet every day for translation, reading, writing, scribing, discourse, dialogue and discussion. Many manuscripts and books in various scientific subjects and philosophical concepts and ideas, and in different languages were translated and created there. 

The languages which were spoken, read, and written there were Arabic (as the lingua franca), Farsi, Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Greek and Latin; also occasionally Sanskrit, which was used to translate the old Indian manuscripts in astronomy and mathematics (MJ & AS, p. 130). A remarkable feat for Medieval times!

Baghdad became a city that would attract people from France, England, Spain, China and the rest of the world. Truly, one of the most interesting and magnificent cities of Islam. However, not as remarkable as the House of Wisdom, perhaps I will write an entire post dedicated to this academy some day.