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  • Muslim countries frequently make headlines for their attacks on freedom of expression,

  • sexuality, education, or anything considered pro-western.

  • But few people know that Islam once embraced these institutions, in a period of history

  • scholars refer to asthe Golden Age’, which notably coincided with the European

  • Dark Ages.

  • So what exactly was the Golden Age of Islam?

  • Well, most historians understand the Islamic Golden Age as a period of history under the

  • Abbasid Dynasty, which ruled from the 8th to 13th century.

  • At the time, Islam was only about a century old, and concentrated in the Arabian Peninsula,

  • the Mediterranean, and North Africa.

  • Once the Abbasids took over and formed a caliphate, the capitol was moved to Baghdad, and Islam

  • spread to other regions.

  • The Abbasids were inspired by verses from the Quran and Hadiths that emphasized the

  • value of knowledge, rather than just religious devotion, and they strongly pushed for advances

  • in science, art, and commerce.

  • One of the most unique features of the Islamic Golden Age was its inclusivity.

  • In Baghdad, the ruling caliph created a House of Wisdom.

  • Here, Christian and Jewish scholars were invited to join their Muslim counterparts to share

  • ideas, information and creative work, which was all translated into Arabic.

  • These scholars carried out a variety of state-funded research projects, resulting in the islamic

  • world’s first astronomical observatory and one of the most detailed world maps of the

  • time.

  • The House of Wisdom also fostered a considerable amount of scientific, philosophical, and scholarly

  • works.

  • Many Golden Age scholars put their studies to practical use, particularly in the field

  • of medicine and healthcare.

  • Physicians and philosophers wrote medical encyclopedias and textbooks that were used

  • for centuries.

  • One famous Persian physician was the first to differentiate between smallpox and measles.

  • By the 10th century, pharmacies were a staple in most Muslim cities, and Hospitals stayed

  • open 24 hours.

  • This era even saw a sort-of universal health care, as hospitals were forbidden to turn

  • away the poor.

  • The period also gave way to some of the world’s first universities, as well as countless works

  • of art, including architecture, literature and poetry.

  • The golden age also saw the foundation of Sufism, which is a mystical Islamic philosophy

  • that promotes peace, education and philanthropy.

  • Millions of people still adhere to Sufism, and the practice has been promoted as an alternative

  • to radical forms of Islam.

  • Most historians mark the 13th century as the end of the Golden Age, when Genghis Khan and

  • his Mongol army conquered much of East Asia, including the Islamic Caliphate.

  • In 1258, the Mongols destroyed Baghdad and the House of Wisdom, anecdotally throwing

  • so many books into the Tigris River that it ran black with ink.

  • The Caliphate was completely demolished.

  • Had history played out differently, there’s no telling what Islam would look like today.

Muslim countries frequently make headlines for their attacks on freedom of expression,

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