Forward by HRH Prince Charles, now HM King Charles III, to the 1001 Inventions Book

Forward by HRH Prince Charles, now HM King Charles III, to the 3rd edition of the 1001 inventions book, published by National Geographic, 2012

HM King Charles in 2012 – ©1001inventions.com

Below is the text of forward by HRH Prince Charles, now HM King Charles III, to the 3rd edition of the 1001 inventions book, published by National Geographic, 2012. The original endorsement from Clarence House with his signature is shown here. The previous two editions of the flagship 1001 Inventions publications sold more than 250,000 copies, with Turkish and Arabic versions also proving very popular. After numerous feedbacks from readers, the 4th edition was published as a text-only Amazon Kindle eBook containing extensively updated material with numerous footnotes and references.

“In 1993, I gave a lecture at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies called “Islam and the West”, in which I addressed the dangerous level of misunderstanding between these two worlds and drew attention to the joint scientific and cultural heritage that in fact links us together.

Today, in times when these links matter more than ever, I am delighted to see the success of the initiative called 1001 Inventions, which presents and celebrates the many scientific, technological and humanitarian developments shared by the Islamic world and the West. For while the West struggled in a period often called the “Dark Ages”, enormous intellectual and cultural developments were taking place in Muslim civilization from the seventh century onward. In science, astronomy, mathematics, algebra (itself an Arabic word), law, history, medicine, pharmacology, optics, agriculture, architecture, theology, music — a “Golden Age” of discovery was
flourishing in the Islamic world, which would contribute enormously to the European Renaissance.

It is a matter of great pride that, although global in its outreach and operation, 1001 Inventions is in fact an initiative of a British-based team supported by a network of academics around the world. The 1001 Inventions exhibitions, books and films have achieved significant success in popularizing public understanding of the cultural roots of science and, thereby, encouraging intercultural respect and appreciation.

This book, now in its third edition and published by the National Geographic Society, introduces the fascinating legacy of the Golden Age to a new audience. It is part of a global effort to increase understanding of how men and women of many different faiths and ethnicities, living under the umbrella of Muslim Civilization, made extraordinary advances during this period and how these advances touch every part of society today.

I can only pray that the whole concept of 1001 Inventions, and especially this book, will inspire future generations of scientists and scholars, men and women, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to build a better world for their fellow man, whatever their creed or colour. I look forward to the further success and expansion of this important and much-needed initiative.”
HRH The Prince of Wales, London, May 2012

HRH King Charles III delivering the Queen’s Speech on behalf of his mother, May 2022. – Attribution: Copyright House of Lords 2022 / Photography by Annabel Moeller – Wikipedia CC BY 2.0