Starter quiz
- ______ was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.
- 'Baghdad' ✓
- Who was Charlemagne?
- an Abbasid caliph
- the emperor of the Carolingian Empire ✓
- an Anglo-Saxon king
- a messenger sent with gifts to Caliph Al-Rashid
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- What was the Silk Road?
- a single route that connected Baghdad to England
- a single route that connected Asia to Europe
- a network of routes that connected Baghdad to England
- a network of routes that connected Asia to Europe ✓
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- Match the word to its explanation.
- Cordoba⇔part of Al-Andalus ✓
- Abd al-Rahman⇔the founder and first ruler of the Emirate of Córdoba ✓
- emir⇔a ruler of an emirate ✓
- What was the House of Wisdom?
- a centre for learning and knowledge in Baghdad ✓
- a centre for learning and knowledge in London
- a leisure centre in Baghdad
- a centre for fun and games in Baghdad
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- Who was Galen?
- a religious leader
- a doctor in Ancient Greece ✓
- a character from Greek mythology
- a Muslim scholar
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Exit quiz
- During the ______ Caliphate, Baghdad became a thriving city that connected the East and West.
- Muslim
- Rashidun
- Umayyad
- Abbasid ✓
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- The period in history that lasted from about 500 to 1500 CE is known as the ______ period.
- medieval ✓
- evil
- middle
- dark
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- The ______ Road connected Baghdad, and the wider Islamic world, to both Asia and Europe.
- 'Silk' ✓
- Scholars in Baghdad translated ______ texts from languages like Greek, Latin and Persian into Arabic.
- modern
- classical ✓
- abstract
- musical
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- Name two ways in which the Abbasid Caliphate became wealthy.
- by selling land in the caliphate
- by sending scholars to China
- imposing taxes in merchants who passed through Abbasid lands ✓
- trading in luxury goods ✓
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- Why did scholars go to Baghdad to translate classical texts?
- they were offered sponsorships, such as money ✓
- to escape hardships in their own countries
- to learn to speak Arabic
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Baghdad, and the wider Islamic world, was connected to both Asia and Europe by trade, communication and ideas.
- Baghdad was built on the Abbasids’ wealth from the Silk Road and added to it through trade from East to West.
- Baghdad was connected to the historic Greek and Persian dominance of the region through science and architecture.
- The Caliph’s sponsorship of the sciences and the arts meant that Baghdad both imported and exported classical knowledge.
- Baghdad’s House of Wisdom and its universities made it a centre of scientific discovery and engineering prowess.
Common misconception
Baghdad, especially during the Abbasid Caliphate, was an isolated or insular city.
Baghdad was a major hub of trade, communication, and intellectual exchange, connecting the Islamic world with both Asia and Europe.
Keywords
Medieval - medieval refers to the Middle Ages, a period in history that lasted from about 500 to 1500 CE
Sponsorship - sponsorship is when someone supports an event, activity or person, usually by giving money
Classical - classical refers to knowledge, ideas, art, literature, and cultural achievements from ancient Greece and Rome
Engineering - engineering is the use of science and maths to solve problems and build things
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