Luminosity in the Muslim World At its peak, Islam was the intellectual center for science, education, philosophy and medicine not found anywhere else in the world. “The Medieval Islamic world…offered vastly more freedom than any of its predecessors, its contemporaries, and most of its successors,” said Bernard Lewis, a historian of the Middle East. (Akoyl) Islamic scholars and teachers lit the flame that would spread to Europe and ignite the fire which brought forth the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment. For centuries, Islam was at the forefront of human civilization and achievements. The Golden Age of Islam was extraordinary, ground breaking and original, but like many things throughout time, it came to an end. Contemporary Islam no longer …show more content…
Avicenna was one of the most famous physicians of his time. He was responsible for paving the way for modern surgery. He was also the first to discover contagious diseases and would later implement the use of quarantine, to decrease the chance of spreading diseases. Rhazes was another important physician. “Born in present-day Tehran, Rhazes (died 925) was trained in Baghdad and became the director of two hospitals. He identified smallpox and, measles, writing a treatise on them that became influential beyond the Middle East and into nineteenth century Europe.” (Ofek) He also discovered that fever was the body’s defense system to ward off illness. The medieval Islamic healthcare system was universal for all its inhabitants. While many scholars became polymaths, who entrenched themselves in multiple fields of medicine, science and mathematics during this time period, there were also notable works that came out of Islamic …show more content…
Born in the Golden Age the Book of One Thousand and One Nights was an epic novel that contained dazzling fictional stories of Arabian folklore. Stories such as “Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp”, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor are but a few examples. Translated in the 18-century this novel sparked European curiosity about the exotic arts, luxuries and pleasures of the East at a time when the East was shrouded mystery and closed off from the West. The elegance of Arabian Nights can be seen in the architecture of the Great Mosque at Cordoba and the amazing construction of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. These structures illuminate the great craftsmanship of the Islamic builders. The striking interiors of ancient Islamic structures are covered with ornate tiles that create beautiful stylized flora designs. Large scale calligraphy texts light up the room, while the Islamic invention of the vaulted ceiling mesmerizes all who behold it. “What can you say is that the intellectual light of the Muslim world from the 8th century down into the 12th is certainly far more complex, sophisticated, and creative than what we find in Europe.”