Islamic civilisation made many lasting contributions to the world. During its golden age, Muslim scholars kept knowledge alive, added new discoveries, and passed learning on to other peoples, including Europe.
Knowledge and Learning
Muslim rulers built great libraries and centres of study, such as the House of Wisdom in Baghdad. Scholars translated books from Greek, Persian and Indian sources into Arabic, then studied and improved on them.
Science, Mathematics and Medicine
Islamic civilisation gave the world important ideas in many fields:
- Mathematics: the spread of the number system (including the use of zero) and the development of algebra.
- Astronomy: careful study of the stars and better instruments to observe them.
- Medicine: famous scholars such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna) wrote medical books used for centuries.
- Geography and travel: detailed maps and accounts of distant lands.
| Field | Contribution |
| Mathematics | Algebra, the number system |
| Medicine | Medical books by Ibn Sina |
| Astronomy | Star studies and instruments |
Key idea
Muslim scholars preserved and improved knowledge from earlier peoples and created new discoveries in mathematics, medicine and astronomy that later helped the whole world.