The Byzantine Empire and ancient Muslim countries had very different historical, cultural, and contextual circumstances. They developed with very different scientific goals. The Byzantine Empire, on the other hand, focuses more on architecture and mathematics. These two different areas of focus would have a lasting impact on the lives of both those living in the empires and their neighbors for many years.
The House of Wisdom and Islam, Baghdad’s capital, made the ancient Muslim Empire a major force in math, medicine, and astronomy. Their prophet Mohammad, a person who supported science education, is what helped Islam focus its population. But, the most important push to astronomy was the knowledge required to fulfill 3/5 of Islam’s Pillars: fasting in Ramadan, performing Hajj, and praying towards Mecca (Beck 275). The Astrolabe was formed out of a fixed plate and a “rete” rotating to mimic the Earth’s movement and time. The House of Wisdom was later opened in Baghdad to serve as a library for all religions and cultures. Texts covering everything from medicine and philosophy would be transliterated from Persian, Indian, Greek and Persian languages to Arabic (Beck 276). Many outstanding scholars were brought up by the House of Wisdom. Al-Khwarizmi was one of the first mathematicians to learn Indian sources. Al-jabr was his next work, which is “the art and science of matching unknowns with known quantities”. (Beck 278) Ibn al-Haytham (mathematical genius) wrote Optics on vision. He argued that the rays from objects go to the eyes and not the other way round (Beck, 278). This knowledge was applied to the creation of microscope and telescope lenses (Beck 278). Baghdad also has a lot of science that was studied, such as medicine. The persian al-Razi was one of the most prominent scientists to have studied it (Beck 278). His Comprehensive Book contained a comprehensive collection of knowledge from Greeks, Indians and Syrians. This is a clear example of the House of Wisdom’s positive influence on cultural diversity. Byzantine architecture took inspiration from Rome (Greenfield), the predecessor. The Byzantines did expand on some aspects of Roman architecture. Common pendentives are four indented, curved triangles which were used to build large domes. These pendentives were used in many churches. They played an important role in Byzantine architecture, culture, and art (Trachtenberg, Hersey). Hagia Sofia, the most beautiful church in Christianity, was one example. Justinian’s Order rebuilt it because he saw churches as the most obvious sign of his Empire’s connection between state and church (Beck,303). Justinian loved architecture too. He designed a program to expand his palace, make new schools, courts, hospitals, baths, and aqueducts. Justinian did not have to worry about his personal desires. Architecture was an important part of the Byzantine Empire’s Christianity. Although the majority of Empire citizens were not educated, government officials received education in many important subjects with a focus on Christian literature (Greenfield). Greenfield: Christianity had a profound influence on literature and architecture, which led to the creation of many great churches. The Byzantine Empire’s architecture and churches were widely spread throughout the Christian east, most notably Russia (Greenfield).
The differences in scientific focus between Byzantine and Muslim Empires can be attributed to their different goals and backgrounds. History of Byzantine Empire in the second Roman Empire gave them an architecture-rich history, which Justinian was keen to learn more about. He created Hagia Sofia, Beck, 303. A close connection between the church of Christ and the state meant that empires often constructed churches using their architectural knowledge. The House of Wisdom was studying architecture in the Muslim world. However, this was overshadowed (Beck, 287). Muslims were also motivated by the Five Pillars of Islam and a religious push for academic learning by Mohammed. The House of Wisdom was a Baghdad institution that brought together scholars of different faiths and cultures to translate work from other areas into Arabic. The large spread of Islam, their belief in mathematics and their religious drive for Astronomy makes Muslim studies stand out from Christianity and the Byzantine Empire.
Although they shared a common religious drive, the Byzantine as well as Muslim Empires emphasized very different areas of study and education. It is possible to see the differences between religions, as well as the differences within the respective areas. Understanding the roots of these powerful Empires will help you understand how they affect your area.
