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The 5 page paper discusses the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, an institution of learning that was founded centuries ago and that has had a profound effect on scholars everywhere. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVhsewsd.rtf
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in Baghdad. Discussion The Bayt al-Hikma, the Arabic name for the House of Wisdom, is thought to have been established by the caliph al-Mamun "in the A.D. 800s" (Douglass 9).
It was a "a highly respected institution of learning" that apparently began as a royal library, "where books were not only stored, but also collected and preserved" (Douglass 9). Since
part of its mission was the preservation of books, it had a bookbindery and "a professional staff who could identify and acquire important works" for the institution (Douglass 9).
The Bayt al-Hikma first acquired its reputation for its scholarly translations (Douglass). The first translations were of Persian books being translated into Arabic, which at the time was become the
standard language throughout Islamic lands, as well as the language of culture and government (Douglass). The reason is simple: it is the "language of the Quran" (Douglass 9). Other
translations include scientific and philosophical works from the ancient Greek world (Douglass). Translators included not only Arabs but Christian scholars as well, including Hunayn ibn Ishaq, a scientist and the
Houses first director (Douglass). Support for the project also came from "public funds obtained through the caliph and his princes, as well as private donations from wealthy merchants, military leaders,
scholars, and civil servants" (Douglass 9). The translators did more than translate books; they discussed new ideas, such as how they could cure the sick, "build a better society," "build
beautiful buildings," solve problems in engineering and "investigate the heavens" (Douglass 9). These advanced ideas spread from Bayt al-Hikma to "other cities in Muslim lands, where people collected books, opened
colleges, conducted scientific work, and wrote about their findings" (Douglass 9). Several hundred years later, the translations would be done again, this time from Arabic into Latin, which made
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