World Book Day is a yearly event first week of March, "designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world"*. On this occasion, we are pleased to invite visitors and readers of our website to celebrate reading and meditating on the various dimensions of the book in history and in our present culture.
This is the 19th year there’s been a World Book Day, and on 3rd March 2016 children of all ages will come together to appreciate reading. Very loudly and very happily. The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own. (WorldBookDay.com)*
In the Muslim world, the celebration of the World Book Day is an opportunity to renew the commemoration of books and reading with a remembrance of the heritage. Islam is the religion of the book, including the book par excellence, the Quran. Whose first revealed verse starts with the word “Read” In the classical Islamic civilisation, interest in books developed very early through reading, writing, authoring and dissemination of learning. Books became a visible medium within the first century of Islamic history. Muslims soon came to know and spread the use of paper, calligraphy, illumination, binding, publishing, marketing, lending and collection development, to name a few. Books became popular through book stores, writers, editors, copyist, translators, and most importantly, libraries. Libraries began in mosques, then in private homes and palaces. Public, school, academic and research libraries soon followed. The famous institution of Baghdad, the House of Wisdom, founded by the Abbasid Caliphs, which radiated knowledge throughout the world started as a library. Despite this advancement status of the book in the civilization, few comprehensive surveys exist on its historiography.
At the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC), our major interest is in offering a tenable and sustainable history of science and technology that recognises the contributions of all cultures, as against the presently, mainly Euro-centric history, offered in most schools and institutions.
From our published works to our articles, books and manuscripts are main part of our FSTC orginisation. As we celebrate them through our all projects Muslim Heritage, 1001 Inventions, CE4tF and MHAG/MHANT. Please visit our books section for more information:
The latest edition of the best-selling 1001 Inventions book introduces the enduring legacy of Muslim civilization to new audiences around the world. The previous two editions of the flagship 1001 Inventions publication sold more than 200,000 copies, with Turkish and Arabic versions also proving very popular.
The book’s seven chapters are richly illustrated and provide insight into the everyday life of early Muslim civilization and the related and subsequent growth and progress of Western civilization. There is also an extensive reference section, a glossary of subjects and people, charts, timelines and maps illustrating the inventions and contributions, remarkable photographs, artifacts, historic documents and drawings.
Al-Isfizari Book
“The Mechanical Corpus of Al-Isfizārī in the Sciences of Weights and Ingenious Devices: New Arabic Texts in Theoretical and Practical Mechanics” by Professor Mohammed Abattouy, former chief editor of FSTC and Professor Salim Al-Hassani, President of FSTC.
Up until recently, academic endeavour in medieval Muslim engineering was confined largely to few prominent figures, such as the Banū Mūsa (flourished ninth century CE), al-Jazarī (d. ca. 1206 CE), and Taqī al-Dīn ibn Maʿrūf (d. 1588), thanks mainly to the pioneering work of Eilhard Weidermann (d. 1928), Donald Routledge Hill (d. 1994) and Ahmad Yusuf al-Hassan (d. 2009). The edition of the corpus of mechanics of al-Isfizārī brings to light for the first time a new and large corpus of reworkings, commentaries, and recensions by a great, but previously obscure, scholar of mechanics from the generation preceding al-Khāzinī. One of his great achievements in mechanics was that he expanded the horizons of our knowledge of medieval mechanics, engineering, and technology as practiced by the scholars of the classical Islamic world. The publication of a critical edition of al-Isfazārī’s scholarship in theoretical and practical mechanics is, therefore, a highly significant publication in the field of mechanics and engineering history, and should prove to be a real treasure for the academic and the interested layman alike.
The book produced in partnership with National Geographic for ages 8-12 uses the winning formula of facts, photos and fun. Each page is packed with information on little-known history of Muslim civilization, showing how their achievements still apply to our world today.
www.1001inventions.com/Awesome_Facts
Ibn Al-Haytham: The Man Who Discovered How We See
From 1001 Inventions and National Geographic Kids, the book provides accessible, yet wide-ranging, information for independent readers.
The book is a special tribute to the 11th century pioneering scientific thinker Al-Hasan Ibn al-Haytham (known in the West by the Latinized form of his first name “Alhazen”). It is a companion to the international educational campaign, “1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn al-Haytham,” that includes interactive exhibits, workshops, live shows, and a 12-minute film starring Omar Sharif in his final film cinematic appearance.
www.1001inventions.com/ibnalhaythambook
The main aim of this pack is to help teachers explain science content in an exciting and hands-on approach. The Teachers’ Pack maps relevant historical scientific and technological discoveries and principles, from the Muslim Civilisation, to the national curriculum for secondary schools (ages 11 to 16).
www.1001inventions.com/files/1001iTeachersPacksHiRes.pdf
Teachers’ Guide to 1001 Inventions and Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization
The guide starts with 35 Quizzily Questions to keep track of how well students are absorbing and remembering what they are reading and studying in the 1001 Inventions book. The section after introduces suggestions for a number of activities related to the book. Following the interactive experiences, there are specific projects that enhance and explore information presented on particular subjects.
www.1001inventions.com/Awesome_Facts_Teachers_Guide
1001 Inventions Children’s Activity Guide
A Children’s Guide to the exhibition, this activity book brings to life the characters and inventions featured in 1001 Inventions. With amazing facts and fun quizzes on every area of discovery, this book features 33 pages of fascinating detail about Muslim civilisation. It also contains 5 brilliant projects to allow children to experiment and create, just like the famous inventors of the golden age.
This guide book is a great way for schools to follow up an exhibition visit in lessons, or for parents and children to bring the wonder of the exhibition home. It will make a memorable addition to any bookshelf and remind younger visitors of this inspiring period of history.
https://inv.ecgroup.net/p-10-childrens-activity-guide-english.aspx
https://inv.ecgroup.net/p-9-childrens-activity-guide-arabic.aspx
muslimheritage.com/booksAlso related articles in:
Discover the golden
age of Muslim civilisation.
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