the Tang Dynasty was a powerful empire in ancient China that lasted from 618 to 907 CE

Carolingian refers to a powerful family and empire in Europe during the early Middle Ages

the Carolingian Empire was ruled by kings from the Carolingian family; the most famous of whom was Charlemagne

Harun al-Rashid was a ruler who lived during the Islamic Golden Age in the Abbasid Caliphate. He was born in 763 CE and ruled as the Abbasid Caliph from 786 until his death in 809 CE.

Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia in the early 9th century world

History

Baghdad's connections to the East

Baghdad's connections to the West

Baghdad and the spread of ideas

Baghdad and Cordoba

Baghdad's connection to the medieval world

In 'Early Islamic Civilisation: what connected Baghdad to the wider world?' pupils deepened their understanding of the 'Golden Age' of Islamic civilisation by examining how Baghdad was connected to the wider world. In 'Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons: what changed after the Romans left?' pupils return to one part of the world that was connected to Baghdad through trade: sub-Roman Britain.

In 'Early Islamic Civilisation: how did Baghdad become the ‘City of Peace’?' pupils learnt about the rise of Islam and the founding of Baghdad. In 'Early Islamic Civilisation: what connected Baghdad to the wider world?' pupils deepen their understanding of the 'Golden Age' of Islamic civilisation by examining how Baghdad was connected to the wider world. 

In this unit, pupils analyse the connections that 9th-century Islamic civilisation had to the wider world. They learn about its connections to the East and West and the importance of Baghdad as a centre of learning and knowledge.

Early Islamic civilisation: what connected Baghdad to the wider world?

an astronomer is a scientist who studies astronomy - the science about space, stars, planets, and everything beyond Earth

the Siddhanta was a book with a collection of important ideas and teachings in various fields like mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy

decimal refers to a system of numbers based on the number 10, e.g. there are ten ones in a ten, there are ten tens in a hundred, there are ten hundreds in a thousand

an observatory is a building specially designed for studying the moons, planets, stars and galaxies

incense is a material, typically in the form of small pieces or sticks, that produces a pleasant smell when burned

the House of Wisdom was a library and place of learning in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age

Euclid was an ancient Greek mathematician, who lived around 300 BCE, and is often referred to as the 'father of geometry'

geometry is an area of mathematics that explores the shape, size, angles and positions of objects

the dinar is the name of the money unit that was used in Baghdad

a scholar is someone who spends a lot of time studying and learning; they often become experts in their chosen areas and share what they learn with others

Galen was a doctor in Ancient Greece, who lived during the 2nd century CE, and made many important discoveries about medicine and the human body

a compass is a tool for showing direction; a magnetic compass has a needle that points north

abstract art is a style of art that doesn't try to show things exactly as they look in real life but instead uses shapes, colours, and patterns to express ideas or feelings

Al-Andalus was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula, including modern-day Gibraltar, Portugal, Spain, and Southern France

Abd al-Rahman was the founder and first emir of the Emirate of Córdoba, ruling from 756 to 788 CE

an emir is a ruler or king in Islamic countries

an emirate is a region or territory ruled by a leader called an emir

the Visigoths were a Germanic tribe of Goths from regions in what is now Eastern Europe. They settled in what is now Spain and Portugal in the 5th century CE

medieval refers to the Middle Ages, a period in history that lasted from about 500 to 1500 CE

sponsorship is when someone supports an event, activity or person, usually by giving money

classical refers to knowledge, ideas, art, literature, and cultural achievements from ancient Greece and Rome

engineering is the use of science and maths to solve problems and build things

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Early Islamic civilisation: what connected Baghdad to the wider world?

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