Chapter 5, Lesson 3
Life in the Islamic World
It Matters Because:
Muslim advances in mathematics, business,
science, architecture, and the arts helped to
create our modern society.
Daily Life and Trade
•Muslim caravans controlled trade
from Africa to China for nearly
700 years
•Caravans and ships made Muslim
merchants very rich
Why Were Muslim Traders Successful?
• As merchants traveled between the Middle East and Far
East, they converted people to Islam and spread Arabic
language
• Islam became faith of the region and Arabic the language
of trade
• Muslim rulers supported trade
• Muslims kept detailed records of their dealings and
earnings
• Led to the beginning of the banking industry
Muslim Cities and Farms
• Cities in the Muslim world grew as trade increased
• Muslim cities like Cairo, Mecca, Baghdad and Damascus
became centers of government, education and culture as
well as trade
• Mosques were an important part of Muslim cities
• Houses of worship
• Also served as courts and places for education
• Muslim bazaars were the shopping malls of the day
• Most Muslims lived in villages and farmed
How was Muslim Society Organized?
• Society was organized into social groups by levels of power
and wealth
• Slavery was common – many slaves were prisoners of war
• Men were in charge of government , society, and business
• Women managed families and homes
• Women were able to own land and inherit wealth
• Some women were educated
Muslim Contributions
• At the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, Muslim, Jewish,
and Christian scholars translated many classic
works into Arabic
• Muslim scholars preserved many great works of
classical literature and philosophy
• These works would have been lost to history otherwise
• Arabic texts of Greek philosophy were translated into
Latin, giving birth to the Renaissance
Science and Mathematics
• Astronomers in Baghdad studied the skies
• Described sun’s eclipses
• Explained how the moon affects ocean tides
• Improved the Greek astrolabe
• Astrolabe – tool that helps sailors navigate by the positions of the stars
• Used to measure the circumference of the earth
• Confirmed that earth was round
• Experimented with different metals
• Muslims considered founders of modern chemistry
• Muslim mathematicians borrowed symbols 0-9 from Hindu
• Today known as Arabic numerals
Medicine
•Discovered that blood circulates to and from
the heart
•Discovered and treated many diseases,
including smallpox and measles
•Created first medical schools, clinics, and
pharmacies
Literature
• Quran – first and most important Arabic work
• The Thousand and One Nights, aka Arabian Nights, includes
stories from India, Persia, and Arabia
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin are among the most
popular characters
• The epic poem Rubaiyat is considered among the greatest
poems ever written
• Ibn Khaldun, a Muslim historian, studied cause-effect
relationships in history
• One of the first historians to study relationship between
geography, climate, and human activities
Art and Architecture
• Muslim artists discouraged creating images of living creatures
• They feared idolatry
• Idolatry – worship of idols
• Cities known for beautiful buildings
• Mosques dominated many city skylines
• Minarets – towers from which an announcer called Muslims to prayer 5 times
daily
• Muslim palaces were guarded with walls and featured central
courtyards and gardens
• Most famous is Taj Mahal in India, built as a tomb for the ruler’s wife from
marble and precious stone
• Still considered one of the world’s most beautiful buildings