The Islamic Golden Age
A timeline of intellectual and cultural achievement across the Islamic world from 750 to 1258 CE — from Baghdad's House of Wisdom to its destruction.
Foundation of Baghdad
Caliph al-Mansur builds Baghdad as a purpose-built capital — the 'Round City' at the crossroads of Asia, strategically positioned for commerce and governance.
House of Wisdom Established
The House of Wisdom in Baghdad begins systematic translation of Greek, Persian, and Indian texts into Arabic — the greatest translation movement in history.
Al-Khwarizmi Writes Al-Jabr
The mathematician al-Khwarizmi publishes his algebra treatise, giving the world both 'algebra' (from al-jabr) and 'algorithm' (from his Latinized name).
Caliphate of Córdoba Proclaimed
Abd al-Rahman III declares himself Caliph of Córdoba, elevating Al-Andalus into a rival center of Islamic civilization to match Baghdad.
Ibn Sina Completes The Canon of Medicine
The Persian polymath Ibn Sina (Avicenna) finishes his medical encyclopedia, which will remain a standard text in both Islamic and European medicine for centuries.
Ibn al-Haytham's Book of Optics
Ibn al-Haytham publishes his groundbreaking work on optics, establishing the scientific method of experimentation centuries before European scientists.
Toledo Falls to Christians
The Christian Kingdom of Castile captures Toledo. Its translation schools begin rendering Arabic and Greek texts into Latin, transmitting Islamic learning to Europe.
Maimonides Writes Guide for the Perplexed
The Jewish philosopher Maimonides, writing in Arabic in Egypt, produces his masterwork reconciling Aristotelian philosophy with Jewish theology.
Mongol Sack of Baghdad
Hulagu Khan's armies destroy Baghdad, ending the Abbasid Caliphate and devastating the Islamic world's greatest center of learning.