House of Wisdom
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The House of Wisdom (Arabic Bayt al-Hikma) was an institution for education and research founded by the caliph al-Ma'mun in the city of Baghdad, Iraq.
It was probably based on the Persian Academy of Gundishapur. It recruited and supported the most talented scholars, including Mohammed ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, the Bana Musa brothers (Mohammed Jafar ibn Musa, Ahmad ibn Musa, and al-Hasan ibn Musa). Hunain ibn Ishaq and Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi. Among the most important activities of the House was the task of translating Greek manuscripts into Arabic. Scholars associated with the House also authored numerous original works.
The House of Wisdom flourished under al-Ma'mun's successors al-Mu'tasim and al-Wathiq, but declined under the reign of al-Mutawakkil, mainly because Ma'mun, Mu'tasim, and Wathiq followed the sect of Mu'tazili, while al-Mutawakkil followed orthodox Islam. He wanted to stop the spread of Greek philosophy which was one of the main tools in Mu'tazilah theology.
Some other places have also been called House of Wisdom:
- Dar al-Hikmah, the "House of Wisdom", was another name of the House of Knowledge, founded by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 1004.
- The "Bite ul-Khikma" in Mawarannahr (Uzbekistan): In the 8th century the armies of the Arab caliph invaded Mawarannahr ('The Land Beyond River') south of the Amudarrya river and brought in Islam from Saudi Arabia (see Uzbekistan History). The House of Wisdom called Bite ul-Khikma, founded by an order of the caliphate ruler Makhmud, engaged in the great task to translate the books of Aristotle, Plato, Archimedes and other ancient Greek scientists and philosophers from classical Greek into Arabic. The Mawarannanahr's brilliant young scientists, Mohammed ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, Achmad Al-Fergani, Al-Marvazi, Javkhari, Marvarudi and others performed with distinction. This time in history is known as the Oriental Renaissance. At Khorezm a new research center was opened dedicated later to Khorezm-Shakh and it became the first Academy in Central Asia.
- Jakintza Baitha is a Basque cultural organization formed in the late 20th century around Federico Krutwig. It promotes Hellenophile culture and Krutwig's own standard for Basque language, based on Renaissance authors rather than modern usage.
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