At its peak, the Umayyad Caliphate was one of the largest empires in world history. It governed around 28% of the world's population. The Islamic Empire expanded throughout the Middle Ages to become one of the largest empires in the history of the world. It controlled the Middle East, northern Africa, the Iberian peninsula (Spain), and parts of Asia into India. However, powerful people in Mecca felt threatened by Muhammad’s popularity and his declarations that there was only one God, and they opposed him. He took his followers to Medina in 622, where he built an Islamic community around the mosque they constructed there.

Children will learn about the history of the Islamic Caliphate in the middle ages (c. AD 900) and compare its life and culture to that in London and Europe at the time. They will learn about Islamic art, as well as the discoveries of important Islamic scholars such as Al-Khwarizmi, the 'father of algebra', and the importance of the House of Wisdom. A timeline is given to support children in recognising the key events in the history of the early Islamic civilisation, including the Siege of Baghdad, and to help them put these events in the context of their knowledge of world and British history. The religion of Islam was founded in 610 CE by the Prophet Muhammad in the city of Mecca (modern day Saudi Arabia). The religion soon spread throughout the region and had a major impact on the culture of the Middle East and North Africa throughout the Middle Ages. Ada is twelve and has lived near the rainforest, with her Papa Eze, for as long as she can remember. She knows Papa is not her real family but he’s always looked after her. One day, however, Papa Eze becomes unwell and tells Ada the full story behind her birth and how he came to look after her. Unfortunately, someone else has also discovered the story of Ada’s birth and who Ada is and wishes her harm. Papa Eze realizes that Ada needs to escape the village, so sends her off, with her friend Mbe, on a perilous journey to find both safety and her true identity. Along the way, they meet both new friends and old enemies and go on an adventure of a lifetime. Muhammed lived from 570 CE to 632 CE, with the Qur'an being the main holy text. He was born in Mecca but moved to Medina with his followers to escape religious persecution. The Islamic Empire was founded in Mecca and led by Caliphs.In the year 610, a successful merchant called Muhammad reported hearing voices that recited passages to him, which he later recognised as revelations from God. Muhammad shared them with his wife and close friends, and gradually attracted a small group of followers from his home town of Mecca who began to practise a new religion. This new religion became known as Islam. People who practise Islam are called Muslims. Children can be introduced to the idea that people from other civilisations have contributed to many ideas that impact on us still. They can learn about some of the differences in way of life between citizens of Baghdad and London c. AD 900. Links can be made with other cultures that contributed to the formation of theories that are still used within modern day Britain. Children will also be introduced to personalities who undertook challenges on a huge scale to leave behind fascinating legacies. There is a strong emphasis on children investigating issues and solving valid historical questions recognising the nature of the evidence on which their judgements and knowledge are based.

The Islamic Golden Age was a period when science, culture, technology, education, and the arts flourished throughout the Islamic Empire. This period lasted from around 790 CE to 1258 CE. The cultural center during this time was the city of Baghdad which also served as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. The teacher notes provide guidance for using this resource, and blank timelines have instructions for children working individually or as a group. You can use our Early Islamic Fact Sheet for help with completing the timeline. The Islamic empire was the scene of a vast number of inventions and discoveries, including the development of algebra by Al-Khwarizmi. We have lots of learning resources for children learning about Islam in religious education and in history lessons, from the beginnings of Islam to the modern-day religion. Learn more about the history of the Islamic EmpireThere are "Five Pillars of Islam" that form the framework of the religion of Islam. They are 1) Shahadah (declaration of faith) 2) Salat (prayer) 3) Zakat (charity) 4) Fasting 5) Hajj (pilgrimage). Muhammad taught his followers to worship the one God from whom he received the revelations. They were to lead simple lives based on their religious beliefs and observances, and help those in need. The main religious observances later became known as the Five Pillars of Islam. Find out more on the key facts about Islam in this religious studies guide .

Moaddel, Mansoor. " The Study of Islamic Culture and Politics: An Overview and Assessment." Annual Review of Sociology, Volume 28, Issue1, August 2002, Palo Alto, Calif. This knowledge organiser has been designed by our teacher team to perfectly support the KS2 national curriculum for history, studying a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history. Where did the Islamic empire start? Meri, Josef Waleed, ed. Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge, 2006, Abingdon, U.K.

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The city attracted scholars, scientists, Muslims, Christians and Jews from all over the world. The scholars worked together to translate ancient Roman and Greek texts on subjects like algebra, medicine, astronomy. All of the works were kept in the House of Wisdom, established by the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid and his son Al-Ma'mun. As the Caliphs built hospitals, observatories, schools, universities and libraries.

Baghdad became a centre where knowledge was shared and influential ideas were created. Ibn al-Haytham invented an early type of camera that helped explain how the eye sees. The philosopher Ibn Sina wrote hundreds of texts on philosophy, geography, religion, mathematics and medicine. Al-Khwarizmi created writings on decimals, fractions and algebra. The above video may be from a third-party source. We accept no responsibility for any videos from third-party sources. Please let us know if the video is no longer working. They'll learn about this history topic by creating a timeline that organises the key events during the Ancient Islamic Civilisation and establishing what was happening in other parts of the world at the same time. This resource is differentiated to different ability levels too.Help children to learn about the history and achievements of the early Islamic civilisation, including Baghdad, with this knowledge organiser containing the key knowledge and vocabulary from our PlanIt UKS2 history unit. There were several capital cities of the Caliphate throughout history. Some of the major capitals included Medina, Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, and Istanbul. The Early Islamic World was a period of rapid expansion for both the Islamic Empire and the religion of Islam. While Europe was languishing in the dark ages, the Middle East was experiencing a time of economic prosperity and scientific advancement. In this section, we cover the Islamic Empire from the start of Islam (610 CE) to the fall of the Ottoman Empire (1924).