Early Islamic civilisation (c. AD 900)

Baghdad as a centre of learning, trade and discovery during the Islamic Golden Age

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Which city was the great centre of learning during the early Islamic Golden Age around AD 900? A) Baghdad B) London C) Rome D) Athens
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2
What was the famous library and research centre in Baghdad called? A) The House of Wisdom B) The Great Library C) The Round Hall D) The Scholars' Tower
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3
True or false? The word 'algebra' comes from the work of the Islamic scholar al-Khwarizmi. A) True B) False
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4
In which modern country was Baghdad, the capital of the Islamic Golden Age? A) Iraq B) Iran C) Egypt D) Saudi Arabia
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5
Fill in the blank. Ibn Sina was a famous Islamic scholar of ___.
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6
Why was Baghdad such an important trading city? A) It was on routes linking Europe, Africa and Asia B) It had the largest port in the world C) It was the only city with a market D) It produced the most gold in the world
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7
Match each Islamic scholar to their main area of work. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: Al-Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina, Al-Razi, Ibn al-Haytham Right: Mathematics, Medicine, Chemistry, Optics and light
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8
Around what time was the early Islamic civilisation at its peak in Baghdad? A) AD 750 - 1258 B) AD 1500 - 1700 C) AD 1800 - 1900 D) AD 1 - 100
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9
Fill in the blank. The English word ___ comes from the name al-Khwarizmi and means a set of steps to solve a problem.
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10
Why might it be wrong to say that Europe was 'ahead of' the Islamic world around AD 900? A) Baghdad was a centre of learning while much of Europe had few books B) Europe had no people living there at that time C) Europeans had not yet invented writing D) Europe and Baghdad were the same place
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Answer key

Early Islamic civilisation (c. AD 900) · for parents and teachers

1
Baghdad
Baghdad was founded in AD 762 and quickly became the world's leading centre of learning, trade and culture for hundreds of years.
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The House of Wisdom
The House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) was a huge library and academy where scholars from many religions translated and studied texts in maths, science and medicine.
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True
Al-Khwarizmi wrote a book called 'al-jabr', which gave us the word 'algebra'. His name also gave us the word 'algorithm'.
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Iraq
Baghdad, capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, was in modern Iraq.
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medicine
Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna) wrote 'The Canon of Medicine' around AD 1025. It was used in European medical schools until the 1600s.
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It was on routes linking Europe, Africa and Asia
Baghdad sat at a crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia, so traders brought silk, spices, ideas and books from many cultures.
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Al-Khwarizmi → Mathematics; Ibn Sina → Medicine; Al-Razi → Chemistry; Ibn al-Haytham → Optics and light
Scholars in Baghdad studied many subjects. Their discoveries spread to Europe through trade and translated books.
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AD 750 - 1258
The Islamic Golden Age in Baghdad ran from about AD 750 (the start of the Abbasid Caliphate) to 1258, when the city was sacked by Mongol armies.
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algorithm
The Latin spelling of al-Khwarizmi's name became 'algorismi', which slowly turned into our modern word 'algorithm'.
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Baghdad was a centre of learning while much of Europe had few books
Around AD 900, scholars in Baghdad were writing many new books in maths, science and medicine. Much of western Europe had far fewer schools and libraries.