The Islamic Golden Age and its Influence
The Muslim leaders established a very large kingdom during the Islamic Golden Age, which is generally regarded as lasting from the 7th century up until the 13th century. In the first three centuries of the Abbasid era, Samarra and Baghdad served as the economic and intellectual hubs of the Islamic world. A very distinct style emerged during this time as new techniques were founded, spread throughout, and significantly impacted Islamic architecture and art.
The Architectural Significance of Samarra and Baghdad
Samarra and Baghdad began associating with new architectural and artistic styles as the new style spread throughout the Muslim world. Since almost nothing from Baghdad remains today, Samarra's site is principally important for understanding the architecture and art of Abbasid period. Under his leadership, Baghdad became the largest center for philosophy, science, education, and medicine. The huge size of caliphate led it to have contact and hence share boundaries with distant empires, therefore scholars at Baghdad were able to collect, translate and even spread out the knowledge of different civilizations like the Persians, Egyptians, Byzantines, Greeks, Indians, Chinese, and Romans. The next rulers after Harun, more especially al-Ma'mun his son, continued with his strategies of supporting scientists, scholars, and artists. The son founded a House of Wisdom called Bayt al-Hikma which hosted both Muslim and other non-Muslim scholars. The team translated and gathered cumulative knowledge concerning human history in a common language which was Arabic.
Scientific and Technological Advancements
Introducing Indian numerals became typical in all Western and Islamic worlds and this aided in scientific and mathematic discoveries. A scholar by the name Ibn al-Haytham contributed much in the field of optics and he also developed a new scientific concept. A lot of practical innovations especially in the field of agriculture took place. Farming techniques which were adopted from the neighboring cultures helped Islamic farmers to reach the West. The papermaking art that was introduced by the prisoners who were taken from the Battle of Talas hence spreading to the cities of Baghdad and Samarkand. Many shops with binders and scribes of books in public libraries started to be established by AD 900.
The Influence of Trade and Knowledge Exchange
Much of this development and learning may be connected to topography. The custom of pilgrimage to Mecca came a central point for the exchange of goods and ideas. The influence that was apprehended by Muslim merchants to Arabian-Asian and Africa-Arabian trade routes was marvelous. As a result, the Islamic civilization expanded due to this merchant economy. Merchants brought their faith and goods to China, south-east Asia, India, and the kingdoms of West Africa as they returned with some new inventions. In range, anatomy, pharmacology, clinical medicine, mathematics, cosmology, astronomy, mechanics, and impetus theory, there is a very remarkable record of Islam all through the whole field of scientific activity that is known in Middle Ages.
Globalization and the Decline
Islamic empire extensively contributed to globalization in the Golden Age, while trade, economies, and knowledge from formerly isolated regions began to integrate through associates with traders and explorers of the Muslim world. The industries also grew during Abbasid's period where hydropower, wind power, and tidal power were used widely to power factories and mills. However, a burst of the artistic vitality finally came to a stop through sacking Baghdad in 1958.
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