Today, learning something is very simple. All we have to do is whip out our phones and go on the internet. The internet can teach you anything, from how to tie shoe laces, to how build your own artificial intelligent robot. Information at out fingertips. Yet somehow, some of the most viral things you'll see on the internet are the most stupidest things you'll ever see, like people eating freaking tide pods! Yet, 1000 years ago, when people had to travel across the world in order to learn something, scientific discoveries were coming thick and fast.
10th Century Baghdad, Illustration: Jean Soutif/Science Photo Libra
The Collection of Al-Ma'mun
Prior to the late 8th century, scholars needed to travel across the world in order to find the right books that contained the right information that they were looking for, for their work, after that they had to get the books translated into the language that they spoke. This process could take years. However, in the Abbasid capital, Baghdad, the Caliph al-Rashid started collecting books and manuscripts from across the world and eventually passed it on to his son, Caliph al-Ma'mun, who furthered the collection. Caliph al-Ma'mun didn't just collect the books, he encouraged translators to translate them into various languages. How did he encourage them? Oh it was nothing much, he just payed each translator the weight of every book in gold!
Imaginary drawing of the House of Wisdom
The House of Wisdom
Eventually al-Ma'mun's collection grew so huge that he decided to build a massive library, calling it "House of Wisdom". This library was the first of its kind, it contained all the books and manuscripts from all over the world, translated in every language. Word of this spread very fast amongst scholars and they flocked to the House of Wisdom. It was free for all, allowing people of all races, gender and faith to flourish at the House of Wisdom and eventually, Caliph al-Ma'mun started paying scholars to add and teach at the library. Baghdad eventually became the center of learning.
The Siege of Baghdad
Unfortunately, the House of Wisdom was destroyed by the Mongols in 1258 and so there is not much left for us to see of the House of Wisdom aside from the work of a number of successful scientists and the tradition it left behind. In many ways, the House of Wisdom was like the internet of the 8th Century, it was the place where people engaged in conversation, met with friends and did all their research, the main way that the House of Wisdom was unlike the internet, it had a severe lack of stupidity!
Thanks for reading!
References:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Wisdom
http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/house-of-wisdom