The Golden Age

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The Golden Age was a period in history during which the Islamic empire was at the centre of progress in maths, science, medicine, literature, philosophy and art, as well as other disciplines.

The greatest Muslim philosophers, thinkers and inventors contributed to some of the world’s most substantial discoveries.

Centuries before the invention of a microscope, Ibn Sina or Avicenna proposed a theory that diseases spread through small particles that are invisible to the naked eye. This led to the invention of ‘quarantine’ – a 40-day period that Ibn Sina advised was required in order to stop the spread of infectious diseases.

Ibn-al-Haytham is known as the father of optics. He was the first to explain how our eyes work - a foundational theory that led to inventions such as glasses, microscopes, telescopes, the camera and even cinemas.

Abbas Ibn Firnas was a Muslim polymath and engineer, who was the first human to experiment with flying. He also constructed a device which indicated the motion of the planets and stars in the Universe.

The writings of Ibn Rushd or Averos directly impacted the ideas in medieval Europe.

He is even featured in a painting by Renaissance artist Raphael, called ‘School of Athens’, depicting the greatest philosophers, including Aristotle and Plato.

The toothbrush, algebra, coffee, the concept of universities and medical surgery are all invented by or inspired by the work of some of the greatest Muslim thinkers in history.

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