Appreciating Ancient Islam

I know that I'm one of the few Westerners that desperately wants to visit all of the countries of the Middle East. I can hear it now, "Why would anyone want to go there?"

For me it's because the Islamic world offers a glimpse into such an unexpectedly rich past. "For five centures, from 700 to 1200, Islam led the world in power, order, and extent of government, in refinement of manners, in standards of living, in humane legislation and religious toleration, in literature, scholarship, science, medicine, and philosophy" (Source: The Age of Faith, Will Durant, p. 341).

I've read volumes on the subject, and it's simply awesome what these people did at such an early age. The fact is, ancient Islam during this period represents the height of civilization and culture, comparable to any in history.

For example, only at the peak of Alexandria's prominence under the Ptolemies were books held in such a similarly high repute. Patrons exhausted fortunes to build tremendous libraries, and engaged agents to travel the known world to acquire rare and important volumes. And by the way, they read these books.

Poetry, interestingly, was written by virtually all. Caliphs and commoners alike took the time to write poetry on a daily basis, share it with one another, and outdo their colleagues in eloquence, wit and wisdom.

A little known fact is that we owe much of the extant Plato, Aristotle and many other classical writings to Islamic bibliophiles who translated them into Arabic. While the dark ages shrouded Europe, leaving its libraries to destruction and decay, the courts of Baghdad, Cairo, Moorish Spain and countless other cities held such writings in great esteem. The Renaissance welcomed the Arabic texts back across the Mediterranean, translating them into a variety of European languages.

Medicine, science, astronomy, philosophy, architecture and art all experienced similar apogees in ancient Islam.

What I wouldn't give to experience these cultures in their original, living glory. Modern politics aside, these were, and are, amazing cultures, far more worthy of exploration than the most popular tourist destinations of our time. They're vastly different places now, but every bit as fascinating.