arab civilization ?

[NickIT]

No, I don't think it did. They did invent it, but we didn't take it from them.

I think the original post in question was dealing with the Madrassa's (sp?) where you said European universties 'came from'.

My point is that the Greeks started this process...the Muslims used the concept of centres of learning and helped bring that back into Europe...

(a bit simplistic perhaps on my part but am rushing around like a blue *rsed fly today....)

[snaw]

If we consider university as a corporation of students, then Plato's Academy is the first historically documented university. The original latin word "universitas", first used at the time of reniewed interested in Classical Greek and Roman tradition, tried to reflect this feature of Academy. If we consider university simply as a higher education institution, then it is Shangyang, which originated before the 21st century BC in China. In the western world, the choice is between Takshashila, Nalanda, Ratnagiri University and Al-Azhar University. The University of Magnaura in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), re-founded in 849 by the regent Bardas of emperor Michael III, is generally considered to be the first institution of higher learning with the characteristics we associate with the modern University (research and teaching, self-administration, academic independence etc.).

Students at Takshashila University, founded in Taxila (Pakistan) from around the 7th century BC, were given academic titles after graduating from one of its many courses. Nalanda University, founded in Bihar (India) from around the 5th century BC, also gave academic titles to its graduates, while also offering post-graduate courses. A third university whose ruins were only recently excavated was Ratnagiri University in Orissa. Al-Azhar University, founded in Cairo (Egypt) in the 10th century, offered a variety of post-graduate degrees, and is usually regarded as the first full-fledged university.

You're both right/wrong.

[andy]

I read somehwere that in Nalanda university they had so many books that when muslim invaders burnt them they were burning for 10 days.

[NickIT]

You're both right/wrong.

Like I said...I was being simplistic and not looking at the rest of the world (China for example)....

I was concentrating on Europe....that it was only the Muslims who 'invented' Universities....

[expat]

Like I said...I was being simplistic and not looking at the rest of the world (China for example)....

I was concentrating on Europe....that it was only the Muslims who 'invented' Universities....

I didn't say anything about who 'invented' universities, only about who gave them to us, since the original question was awhether arab civilisation had given us anything.

[NickIT]

I didn't say anything about who 'invented' universities, only about who gave them to us, since the original question was awhether arab civilisation had given us anything.

Quite.

[sappatz]

arabs

even their oil, arabs cant extract it without western engineers and technology (altough it is just under the surface). all those infidels (decried by ben Laden & co) are necessary for the followig reasons :

- to protect the kingdoms and their riches, and the army of princes
- for oil exploitation

by the way, do you know the following facts about arab countries :

- non-oil GDP of all arab countries taken together is the same as Finland
- Lybian industrial capacity would not even fill a small english village

[lilelvis2000]

even their oil, arabs cant extract it without western engineers and technology (altough it is just under the surface). all those infidels (decried by ben Laden & co) are necessary for the followig reasons :

- to protect the kingdoms and their riches, and the army of princes
- for oil exploitation

by the way, do you know the following facts about arab countries :

- non-oil GDP of all arab countries taken together is the same as Finland
- Lybian industrial capacity would not even fill a small english village

so?

[lilelvis2000]

what did the arabs bring to the world except mayhem and a backward religion ? apparently even the zero and the modern numbers are not from them, but orginate from india.

There are some good looking female news readers on Al Jazeera.

[xoggoth]

So is probably fair enough comment. If your country has a major natural resource what is the point of developing loads of other industries? Not as if they have any aesthetic value.

As it happens I live in the one are of the English mainland that does have comercial oil reserves. If I dig my own well in the garden do I own it or does the sodding government claim it?