THE ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE

This article discusses some key individuals who contributed to the rise of Islam's "Golden Age". This is a period of development of Islam that spans about five centuries, beginning with the reign of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid (c. 786-809). Although it ended with the fall of the Abbasid caliphate after the Mongol invasion and sack of Baghdad in 1258, some scholars extend the period of the Islamic Golden Age to cover a longer period. But during the Golden Age, a truly remarkable period in human history, the arts and humanities, the natural and social sciences, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, finance, centuries of Islamic and European monetary systems thrived. In addition, this article presents some examples of the continuing contributions of the Islamic Golden Age from antiquity to the present day.