1. Aim: What were the greatest achievements of the Islamic Golden Age?
Do Now: Does science conflict with religion?
NY Standards 2
Common Core R.S. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, WS 1, 2

2. I Islam Divides
A) After the death of Muhammad in 632 CE, Muslims couldn’t agree who should be the caliph (Muslim leader)  split within Islam.
Sufis developed separately from Shiites and Sunnis. Through meditation they try to have a spiritual connection to Allah.

4. II The Spread of Islam

5. The Umayyad Dynasty 661 – 750 CE
Conquered North Africa and Spain. Capital at Damascus.
Allowed freedom of religion to Jews & Christians “people of the book” if they paid a tax.

6. The Umayyad Alhambra Palace, Spain

7. The Abbasid Dynasty 750-1258 CE
Abbasid Palace, Baghdad, Iraq
Conquered the Umayyad Empire. Moved the capital to Baghdad.

8. Tamerlane’s Dynasty 1398 – 1405
Tamerlane conquered central Asia. Claimed to be Mongolian. Capital at Samarkand (a major stop along the Silk Road). Known for building walls of human skulls.

9. The Mughal Dynasty
Conquered India. Akbar the Great ended a tax on Hindus and allowed them to advance in the empire.

10. The Taj Mahal was a mausoleum built by Shah Jajan for his deceased wife Mumtaz.

11. The Ottoman Empire
1453 the Ottomans captured Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul. Janissaries were Christian slaves who were converted to Islam as boys and served in the army. Suleiman the Magnificent beautified Istanbul, and created a law code.

12. The Blue Mosque, Istanbul

13. Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

14. Safavid Dynasty 1501 – 1722
The Safavids made Iran a center of art, architecture, and poetry. Capital at Isfahan.

15. Isfahan, Iran

16. Islamic World
1500 CE

17. Arab dhow ships crossed the Indian Ocean.
IV Muslim Trade
Muslim Arabs trade network connected Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Arab dhow ships crossed the Indian Ocean.

19. V Achievements in Muslin Manufacturing
A) Steel swords from Spain
B) Leather from Spain
C) Egyptian cotton textiles (fabric)
D) Persian carpets

20. The Blue Mosque, Istanbul
VI The Arts
As Muslims are forbidden from creating images of people or animals, they developed a new style of art known as arabesque; geometric patterns that resemble floral shapes.
Also developed calligraphy (an artistic style of writing).
Beautiful mosques, featuring domes and minarets.
An arabesque design
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul
Arabic calligraphy

21. 1001 Nights, written approximately 10th century CE.
VI Literature
1001 Nights, written approximately 10th century CE.
The Plot : King Shahryar discovered his wife was unfaithful and had her killed. He then marries and kills a new wife each night onward. Shahrazad, a daughter of the King’s vizier (advisor), insisted on marrying the king to stop him. She did marry him, and each night would tell him a tale, leaving it incomplete, to be continued the next night…which she continued to do until she has given birth to his children, when he finally realized that maybe he doesn’t have to kill her after all! Some of the stories she told the King to save her life included Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad the Sailor!

22. Persian Telescope, 13th century
VII Math and Science
A) Muslim scholars translated Greek, Roman, and Hindu texts, preserving them. B) Muslims spread the Hindu number system (Arabic numerals) to Europe C) Al-Khwārizmī invented algebra. D) Arab Muslims built astronomical observatories!
Persian Telescope, 13th century

23. Math and Science Continued…
E) Cataracts surgery and small pox vaccinations F) Ibn Sina wrote the Canon on Medicine; an encyclopedia of medical knowledge.
A Muslim doctor performing cataracts surgery

24. Summary Questions
What led to the split within Islam? What is the difference between Sunnis and Shiites?
What allowed for the Arab Muslims to be successful traders? Where and what did they trade?
Choose any 2 Islamic dynasties/empires [Umayyads, Abbasids, Tamerlane, Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals]. Where were they located? What did they accomplish?
Choose any 4 achievements of the Islamic Golden Age. Describe them and explain why they were an achievement.
Why do you think that medieval Muslims achieved a golden age, while most of western Europe did not? (Recall the collapse of the Roman empire in western Europe)

25. Key Vocabulary 1001 Nights Safavid Empire Abbasid Dynasty Shah Jahan
Akbar the Great
Shiite
Al-Khwārizmī
Ibn Sina
Arabesque
Small pox vaccine
Arabic numerals
Sufi
Caliph
Suleiman the Magnificent
Calligraphy
Sunni
Camel Caravan
Taj Mahal
Cataracts Surgery
Tamerlane’s Empire
Janissaries
Umayyad Dynasty
Mughal Empire
Ottoman Empire