Muslim Innovations and Adaptations
9. Explain the contributions made by Muslim scholars in the field of ASTRONOMY:
Astronomy had many practical uses for Muslims. For example, navigational tools were improved to locate the direction of Mecca. These instruments allowed worshippers far from the holy city to pray to face in the correct direction. Astronomers also figured out exact times for prayer and the length of the month of Ramadan.
4. What are three important details about the city of Baghdad?
Baghdad was one of the most glorious Muslim cities, at the center was Baghdad palace and the grand mosque, and it took 100,00 architects to build.
17. List the four types of artistic expression in the medieval Islamic world AND explain two of them in your own words:
Geometric and Floral Design- Calligraphy- The highest form of decorative art, painters used bamboo dipped in ink to write on parchment. Some forms had letters with angles. Textiles- Fabrics that have been long important to Arab and are practical items and trade items. Textiles are still a part of Muslim culture today. Music in Muslim Spain-
14. Why is the concept of zero so important?
However, zero is very important in calculations. (Try subtracting 2 from 2. Without using zero, how would you express the answer?) Zero also made it easier to write large numbers.
11. How did Muslim scientists improve on the work of the ancient Greeks about the Earth?
Muslim scientists improved on calculations made by the ancient Greeks to reach a measure of Earth's circumference that was close to the correct value.
13. Why are al-Khwarizmi's books so important to the field of mathematics?
The translation of another one of al-Khwarizmi's books helped to popularize Arabic numerals in Europe. Father of algebra, introduced Roman numerals.
2. Why did Islamic culture flourish, despite the fact that the Muslim empire did not last?
They flourished because they had so many languages and made innovations and adaptations in many fields.
7. How did Muslim philosophers follow the example of Greek scholars?
They read about Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato and translated their work; used reason and logic to search for the truth.
5. Describe how mosques are designed.
"Mosques usually have at least one minaret (tower) with a small balcony where the muezzin chants the call to prayer. In a courtyard, stands a fountain for washing before prayers. Inside the mosque is the prayer room where worshipers sit on mats and carpets on the floor. The Imam gives the sermon from a raised pulpit called the minibar. Next to the minibar is a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of prayer towards Mecca."
15. List at least one contribution made by Muslims in EACH of the following categories: Hospitals, Medication, Surgery, and Disease:
-Muslim doctors established hospitals that were open to all people, -doctors treated ailments with drugs, diet, and exercise, -after surgery, doctors used thread made from animal gut to stitch the wounds, -Muslim hospitals had separate wards for men and women, surgical patients, and people with diseases that others could catch.
6. How was learning promoted throughout Muslim lands? List at least three details
1. Muslim rulers built schools, colleges, libraries, and other centers of learning 2. Other cities also became great centers of learning. 3. The Fatimid dynasty in Egypt built a capital, Cairo, which rivaled Baghdad. Its university became the most advanced in the Muslim world. 4. Acceptance of the Arabic language
12. Describe an astrolabe:
A navigation device that you can use to find your location based on the sun and stars.
16. How did Muslims adapt and expand bookmaking?
Bookmakers gathered the sheets of paper and often sewed them into leather bindings. They illuminated the bindings and pages with designs in gold, as well as with miniature paintings, In Baghdad, more than 100 book shops lined Paper Sellers' Street. In addition to copies of the Qur'an, booksellers there sold many volumes of poetry and prose.
3. What is cultural diffusion AND what role did Islamic traders have in helping this throughout this region?
Cultural diffusion is the spread of cultural elements from one society to another. It helped Islamic traders in this region because they were able to spread their culture and get new elements from other cultures to add to there culture.
10. Explain the advances that Muslims made to take advantage of scarce water resources:
Muslims improved irrigation systems and designed new ones. They built dams and aqueducts to provide water for households, mills, and fields. They improved existing systems of canals and underground wells.
18. Explain what the two pastimes that Muslims helped popularize and spread:
Polo and chess. Muslims adopted and improved the game of chess and Polo. They spread it across Muslim lands and introduced it to Europe. Chess remains one of the world's most popular board games.
1. The text states: "The Islamic world was rich, diverse, and creative." EXPLAIN how, using information from this section (be sure to explain each of the three- rich, diverse and creative)
Rich: Money, lots of people spreading culture and language. Diverse: Many people from all different backgrounds and stories, anyone was welcome. Creative: They made many advancements, inventions, innovations, and adaptations.
8. Explain the contributions made by Muslim scholars in the field of ZOOLOGY:
Some wrote books describing the structure of animals' bodies, while others explained how to make medicines from animal parts. In the 800s, a scholar named al-Jahiz even presented theories about the evolution of animals.
