Early Islamic Civilisation
" A long time ago, powerful Muslim armies conquered Spain and built great stone castles. For 800 years, Christian Kings fought to take the land back in a war called The Reconquista. To win the final battle, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella got married and joined their armies together. They used giant stone-blasting cannons and blocked all food from entering the city of Granda (the last city to surrender). Once they conquered the land, they forced everybody to become Christians. They either converted or were exiled. Priests were going around ensuring no one was practising their old faith. They were persecuted if they were found". Zainab
Bayt al-Hikma, the ‘House of Wisdom’, was founded by Caliph Harun al-Rashid. He encouraged learning and invited scholars of different faiths to his court, treating them with great respect. The House of Wisdom was a library and research facility which collected and translated writing from many cultures, including Persian, Indian, ancient Greek and Roman texts. By AD 900, the House of Wisdom stored more books than anywhere else in the world and was attracting the most brilliant minds to study there. (Twinkle)