Starter quiz
- 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.
- ancient Greeks. ✓
- Romans.
-
- Match the word to its meaning.
- caliph⇔leader of a caliphate ✓
- mathematician⇔a person who studies maths ✓
- scholar⇔someone who engages in academic study or research ✓
- Match the word to its definition.
- Al-Mansur⇔founded the circular city of Baghdad ✓
- Baghdad⇔capital of the Abbasid Caliphate ✓
- Abbasid Caliphate⇔an Islamic empire which ruled from 750 CE to 1258 CE ✓
- What does BCE mean on a timeline?
- the period of history before the year 1 ✓
- the period of history after the year 1
- the period before we started recording history
- future
-
- What is meant by the 'Mediterranean world'?
- a region consisting of countries surrounding the Arctic Ocean
- 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
-
- The main religion of the Abbasids in Baghdad was ...
- Buddhism
- Judaism
- Christianity
- Islam ✓
-
Exit quiz
- What made the layout of Baghdad unique?
- It was hexagonal.
- It was circular. ✓
- It was square.
-
- Match the word to its meaning.
- Euclid⇔a mathematician from Ancient Greece, who studied geometry ✓
- The Elements⇔a book about geometry ✓
- House of Wisdom⇔an important centre for learning in Baghdad ✓
- Scholars from the House of Wisdom translated 'The Elements' into which language?
- Arabic ✓
- Latin
- English
- Greek
-
- Gold coins made and used in Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate were known as ...
- 'dinars' ✓
- Match the ruler of the 8th century to their title.
- Offa⇔king of Mercia ✓
- Al-Mansur⇔Abbasid caliph ✓
- 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.
- It had both Latin and Arabic writing. ✓
-
Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- One reason Al-Mansur planned Baghdad as a circle was his love of the Ancient Greek science of mathematics.
- In the House of Wisdom, scholars translated Euclid’s book ‘The Elements’ and copies spread this knowledge in Europe.
- 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.
- The coin, complete with Arabic script, is a copy of the golden dinars produced by Al Mansur, Offa’s contemporary.
- It shows how important the golden dinar had become in the Mediterranean world due to the Abbasid domination of trade.
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.
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