Video summary
We are taken back over 1,000 years, where a servant in Baghdad is trying to solve a riddle that will allow him to become a scholar.
Baghdad at the time was the largest city in the world, with a population of about 1 million.
It was a perfectly round city, with all the important buildings in the centre.
Situated between two rivers, it was also at the centre of the world's great trade routes and the caliph was therefore extremely wealthy.
We learn about how knowledge and learning was key to the success of the Golden Age of Islam.
This clip is from the series Lost Lands.
Teacher Notes
Could be used to compare the Golden Age of Islam with the Dark Ages in Europe.
Why were the situations in these places so different?
This could also be a starting point to compare Islam and Christianity.
What did they have in common, and what was so different?
Pupils could be given the opportunity to investigate both the House of Wisdom and the role of knowledge in the Arab world, and the part played by Islamic society in passing knowledge on from ancient civilisations to Europe.
Why were so many new discoveries made in the Islamic world?
This clip is relevant for teaching History at Key Stage 2 and Second Level.
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