New
New
Year 5

Baghdad's connections to the West

I can describe how Baghdad was connected to the West.

New
New
Year 5

Baghdad's connections to the West

I can describe how Baghdad was connected to the West.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. One reason Al-Mansur planned Baghdad as a circle was his love of the Ancient Greek science of mathematics.
  2. In the House of Wisdom, scholars translated Euclid’s book ‘The Elements’ and copies spread this knowledge in Europe.
  3. In the late 8th century CE the Anglo Saxon King of Mercia, Offa either had a gold coin made, or it was made for him.
  4. The coin, complete with Arabic script, is a copy of the golden dinars produced by Al Mansur, Offa’s contemporary.
  5. It shows how important the golden dinar had become in the Mediterranean world due to the Abbasid domination of trade.

Keywords

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

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

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

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

Common misconception

Al-Mansur planned Baghdad as a circle solely because of his love for the Ancient Greek science of mathematics.

While Al-Mansur did have an interest in maths, the circular design of Baghdad was likely influenced by a combination of factors, including practical considerations such as defence and urban planning, as well as symbolic and religious significance.

Study coins from different places to see what they can tell you, e.g. where they were minted, place of origin, worth.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
The people who lived in Greece and the surrounding areas from around 800 BCE to 600 CE were known as the ...
Byzantines.
old-fashioned Greeks.
Correct answer: ancient Greeks.
Romans.
Q2.
Match the word to its meaning.
Correct Answer:caliph,leader of a caliphate

leader of a caliphate

Correct Answer:mathematician,a person who studies maths

a person who studies maths

Correct Answer:scholar,someone who engages in academic study or research

someone who engages in academic study or research

Q3.
Match the word to its definition.
Correct Answer:Al-Mansur,founded the circular city of Baghdad

founded the circular city of Baghdad

Correct Answer:Baghdad,capital of the Abbasid Caliphate

capital of the Abbasid Caliphate

Correct Answer:Abbasid Caliphate,an Islamic empire which ruled from 750 CE to 1258 CE

an Islamic empire which ruled from 750 CE to 1258 CE

Q4.
What does BCE mean on a timeline?
Correct answer: the period of history before the year 1
the period of history after the year 1
the period before we started recording history
future
Q5.
What is meant by the 'Mediterranean world'?
a region consisting of countries surrounding the Arctic Ocean
Correct answer: a region consisting of countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea
a region consisting of countries surrounding the Pacific Ocean
a region consisting of countries surrounding the Indian Ocean
Q6.
The main religion of the Abbasids in Baghdad was ...
Buddhism
Judaism
Christianity
Correct answer: Islam

6 Questions

Q1.
What made the layout of Baghdad unique?
It was hexagonal.
Correct answer: It was circular.
It was square.
Q2.
Match the word to its meaning.
Correct Answer:Euclid,a mathematician from Ancient Greece, who studied geometry

a mathematician from Ancient Greece, who studied geometry

Correct Answer:The Elements,a book about geometry

a book about geometry

Correct Answer:House of Wisdom,an important centre for learning in Baghdad

an important centre for learning in Baghdad

Q3.
Scholars from the House of Wisdom translated 'The Elements' into which language?
Correct answer: Arabic
Latin
English
Greek
Q4.
Gold coins made and used in Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate were known as ...
Correct Answer: dinars, Dinars, dinar
Q5.
Match the ruler of the 8th century to their title.
Correct Answer:Offa,king of Mercia

king of Mercia

Correct Answer:Al-Mansur,Abbasid caliph

Abbasid caliph

Q6.
What was remarkable about Offa's coin?
It was the first use of paper money in history.
It was the first coin to feature the image of a ruler.
Correct answer: It had both Latin and Arabic writing.

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