27/03/2026
The heyday of Baghdad was 1,200 years ago when it was the thriving capital of the Muslim civilisation. For about 500 years the city boasted the cream of intellectuals and culture, a reputation gained during the reigns of some of its most famous Caliphs (Al-Rashid, Al-Ma’mun, Al-Mu’tadhid and Al-Muktafi).
As one of the world’s biggest and richest cities at the time, Baghdad had wealth that went far beyond money. For more than two centuries, it was home to the House of Wisdom, an academy of knowledge that attracted brains from far and wide. From mathematics and astronomy to zoology, the academy was a major centre of research, thought and debate in Muslim Civilisation.
In the House of Wisdom, translators, scientists, scribes, authors, men of letters, writers, authors, copyists and others used to meet every day for translation, reading, writing, scribing, discourse, dialogue and discussion. Many manuscripts and books in various scientific subjects and philosophical concepts and ideas, and in different languages were translated there.
A wide range of languages including Arabic, Farsi, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Greek and Latin were spoken and read at the House of Wisdom.
“The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance” by Jim Al Khalili
“The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization” by Jonathan Lyons
“The House of Wisdom” by Florence P. Heide and Judith H. Gilliland
“House of Wisdom” by Carmel Reilly
“Bayt Al-Hikma and the Intellectual Movement During the Time of Caliph Al-Ma’mūn” by David Edward Atkinson
And “1001 Inventions: Uncovering The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization” National Geographic, edited by Professor Salim Al-Hassani