Islamic world contributions to Medieval Europe

Christian and Muslim playing chess in al-Andalus , from The Book of Games of Alfonso X , el Sabio, c. 1285. The game of chess originated in India , but was transmitted to Europe by the Islamic world. Islamic contributions to Medieval Europe were numerous , affecting such varied areas as art , architecture , medicine , agriculture , music , language , education , law , and technology . From the 11th to the 13th century, Europe absorbed knowledge from the Islamic civilization . Of particular importance was the rediscovery of the ancient classic texts , most notably the work of the Greek natural philosopher Aristotle , through retranslations from Arabic . In the early 20th century the musicologist Henry George Farmer wrote that a "growing number of scholars...recognize(d) that the influence of the Muslim civilization as a whole on medieval Europe was enormous in such fields as science , philosophy , theology , literature , aesthetics , than has been recognized." For one historian the contributions from the Islamic world have had a considerable effect on the development of Western civilization and contributed to the achievements of the Renaissance .

Christian and Muslim playing chess in al-Andalus , from The Book of Games of Alfonso X , el Sabio, c. 1285. The game of chess originated in India , but was transmitted to Europe by the Islamic world. From the 11th to 13th centuries, medieval Europe absorbed knowledge from Islamic civilization , which was then at its cultural peak. Of particular importance was the rediscovery of the ancient classic texts , most notably the work of the Greek natural philosopher Aristotle , through retranslations from Arabic . Also of note is the reception of advances in astronomy and mathematics made in the Islamic world during the 10th century, such as the development of the astrolabe .

A Christian and a Muslim playing chess, illustration from the Book of Games of Alfonso X (c. 1285). During the high medieval period , the Islamic world was at its cultural peak , supplying information and ideas to Europe , via Al-Andalus , Sicily and the Crusader kingdoms in the Levant. These included Latin translations of the Greek Classics and of Arabic texts in astronomy , mathematics , science , and medicine . Translation of Arabic philosophical texts into Latin "led to the transformation of almost all philosophical disciplines in the medieval Latin world", with a particularly strong influence of Muslim philosophers being felt in natural philosophy, psychology and metaphysics. Other contributions included technological and scientific innovations via the Silk Road , including Chinese inventions such as paper and gunpowder . The Islamic world also influenced other aspects of medieval European culture, partly by original innovations made during the Islamic Golden Age , including various fields such as the arts , agriculture , alchemy , music , pottery , etc. Many Arabic loanwords in Western European languages, including English , mostly via Old French, date from this period. This includes traditional star names such as Aldebaran , scientific terms like alchemy (whence also chemistry ), algebra , algorithm , etc. and names of commodities such as sugar , camphor , cotton , coffee , etc. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy .

Influence of Islamic civilisation on Medieval Europe A Christian and a Muslim playing chess, illustration from the Book of Games of Alfonso X (c. 1285). During the High Middle Ages , the Islamic world was at its cultural peak, supplying information and ideas to Europe , via Al-Andalus , Sicily and the Crusader kingdoms in the Levant . These included Latin translations of the Greek Classics and of Arabic texts in astronomy , mathematics , science , and medicine . Translation of Arabic philosophical texts into Latin "led to the transformation of almost all philosophical disciplines in the medieval Latin world", with a particularly strong influence of Muslim philosophers being felt in natural philosophy, psychology and metaphysics. Other contributions included technological and scientific innovations via the Silk Road , including Chinese inventions such as paper , compass and gunpowder . The Islamic world also influenced other aspects of medieval European culture, partly by original innovations made during the Islamic Golden Age , including various fields such as the arts , agriculture , alchemy , music , pottery , etc. Many Arabic loanwords in Western European languages, including English , mostly via Old French, date from this period. This includes traditional star names such as Aldebaran , scientific terms like alchemy (whence also chemistry ), algebra , algorithm , etc. and names of commodities such as sugar , camphor , cotton , coffee , etc. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . Thus the possibility presents itself that... it may have formed part of one of those transmissions from Asia which we find in so many fields of applied science McEachren, Justin W.