One of the first questions my professor had asked was, "What is the most important monument of the Arabs?"
I thought the answer was obvious. I put my hand up to answer with this:
Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs)
Before my hand was fully raised, the whole class sang in chorus, "The ka'aba!"
It makes sense now...
It makes sense now...
This class changed a lot of my views on the East (probably corrected), and showed me how little I really knew.
Here are some of the many interesting things that I've learned from this class:
During Europe's 'Dark Ages', where they were the most religious and scientifically behind, the East was flourishing because of their most religious time. They also made huge strides in scientific discoveries and medicine. Ibn al-Haytham introduced the idea of the camera, Ibn Sina (Avicenna) wrote the first medical encyclopedia (and it went on to be a medical textbook in Europe for the next 600something years). The first hospitals were built, public baths were set up, and hygiene was emphasized. They had accepted Greek philosophy (Europe hadn't yet), and their translations and commentaries had traveled to Andalusia (Muslim Spain, modern Spain today). Through Muslim Spain, the works of the Greek philosophers were introduced to the rest of Europe. Essentially, this is how the European Renaissance was born.
Pretty neat stuff.
-Deena
Edit: Please read the comments for emphasis and further explanation.
Here are some of the many interesting things that I've learned from this class:
During Europe's 'Dark Ages', where they were the most religious and scientifically behind, the East was flourishing because of their most religious time. They also made huge strides in scientific discoveries and medicine. Ibn al-Haytham introduced the idea of the camera, Ibn Sina (Avicenna) wrote the first medical encyclopedia (and it went on to be a medical textbook in Europe for the next 600something years). The first hospitals were built, public baths were set up, and hygiene was emphasized. They had accepted Greek philosophy (Europe hadn't yet), and their translations and commentaries had traveled to Andalusia (Muslim Spain, modern Spain today). Through Muslim Spain, the works of the Greek philosophers were introduced to the rest of Europe. Essentially, this is how the European Renaissance was born.
Pretty neat stuff.
-Deena
Edit: Please read the comments for emphasis and further explanation.
