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Book review: Ibn al-Haytham and the New Optics |
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By: Ruveyda Ozturk, Thu 29 October, 2009 |
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Ruveyda Ozturk This is a book review of Ibn El-Heysem ve Yeni Optik (Ibn al-Haytham and the New Optics) by Huseyin Gazi Topdemir published in 2008 in Turkish as the first book of a series on scientific leaders of the east. The book introduces the scientific works and achievements of Ibn al-Haytham who lived in the 11th century and is regarded as a pioneer in the field of optics. The author talks extensively about his principal book titled Kitab al-Manazir (The Book of Optics) and discusses the great extent of his influence on the Muslim and Western worlds.
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How Islamic Learning Transformed Western Civilization: Review of 'The House of Wisdom' |
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By: FSTC Research Team, Sun 26 July, 2009 |
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FSTC Research Team In February 2009, Jonathan Lyons published 'The House of Wisdom', a riveting history which reveals the vital role the Islamic civilisation played in knowledge creation and how this treasure reached the West. In this fascinating and thoughtful book, Jonathan Lyons restores credit to the contribution of the Arabs and Muslims in the human long and patient effort of building human civilisation, explores and reveals the extent of their learning and describes the intrepid adventures of the European intellectuals of the high Middle Ages who went in search of it and who, in doing so, laid the foundations of what we now call the Renaissance.
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Book Review of ‘Ottoman Women - Myth and Reality’ by Asli Sancar |
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By: Qaisra Shahraz, Wed 08 July, 2009 |
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Qaisra Shahraz Aise Asli Sancar, a renowned writer and lecturer on women's issues has said when she began investigating the subject of Ottoman women, she realized that they were much more complex and multifaceted than they are usually portrayed to be. Noting that Ottoman women were described as submissive and suppressed women entrapped in the harem, Sancar says the imperial harem was a more diverse and complex institution than she had formerly thought it to be. This is the main theme of her book: Ottoman Women: Myth and Reality reviewed in this article by Qaisra Shahraz, the well known writer and novelist. Suitable for all publics, the book, a well written and enjoyable to read piece, presents an engaging and appealing image of Ottoman women, far away from the clichés widely spread in the contemporary literature.
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Book Review of The Dialogue of Civilizations in the Birth of Modern Science by Arun Bala |
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By: Ruveyda Ozturk, Fri 20 March, 2009 |
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The book "The Dialogue of Civilizations in the Birth of Modern Science" by Arun Bala introduces a dialogical perspective on the birth of modern science and lists a great number of contributions made to the development of intellectual thought during the European ‘Dark Ages' by great scientists from Arab, Egyptian, Indian and Chinese backgrounds in a range of fields from mathematics to astronomy. By challenging the Eurocentric view, the author provides a wider perception on the Copernican Revolution, highlighting that continuing dialogue can help the future of science and modern world
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Turkish Cuisine: A Book Review |
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By: FSTC Limited, Fri 13 February, 2009 |
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Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine also influenced these cuisines and other neighbouring cuisines, as well as western European cuisines. The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia such as yogurt. The following article reviews a book containing a collection of papers on the history of Turkish cuisine in the writings of some prominent historians of gastronomy, with a focus on the Ottoman palace and civil cuisine traditions and recipes.
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The Book of Curiosities or A Medieval Islamic View of the Cosmos |
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By: FSTC Research Team, Tue 28 October, 2008 |
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FSTC Research Team The Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford has purchased the medieval Arabic manuscript Kitab Gharaib al-funun wa-mulah al-uyun popularised under the title the Book of Curiosities, an exceptionally rich text on cosmography. The treatise is one of the most important recent finds in the history of Islamic cartography in particular, and for the history of pre-modern cartography in general. The manuscript, a highly illustrated treatise on astronomy and geography compiled by an unknown author between 1020 and 1050, contains an important and hitherto unknown series of colourful maps, giving unique insight into Islamic concepts of the world. Portions of the text are preserved in later copies, but the copy owned by the Bodleian library is the only nearly complete coy and the one to have been extensively studied and released in an electronic edition which represents a model for online publishing of Arabic original manuscripts. This high-quality digital reproduction includes interactive displays, through mouse-over techniques, as well as access to a modern Arabic edition and an annotated English translation.
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The Fate of Manuscripts in Iraq and Elsewhere |
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By: Dr Geoffrey Roper, Thu 11 September, 2008 |
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In this well informed article, Dr Geoffrey Roper, an expert in the field, outlines an impressive portrait of the dangers and threats encountered by the national heritage of Iraq due to the dramatic recent events in this country. After an historical survey in which the 13th-century Mongol invasion is recorded, the article focuses on the vicissitudes that the tragic political and military situation in Iraq has inflicted on manuscripts, archives, rare books and libraries in different towns of Iraq, especially in Baghdad.
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A Compendium of Knowledge about Islamic Civilization: Its History, Contributions, and Influence |
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By: FSTC Limited, Wed 06 August, 2008 |
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An extensive compendium of literature on Islamic civilization, the book published by Professor Shaikh M. Ghazanfar Islamic Civilization: History, Contributions, and Influence: A Compendium of Literature presents detailed and focused "literature briefs" on over 600 books and articles. Thus, it provides a springboard to extensive readings for any student or teacher of Islamic culture.
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The Thistle and the Crescent by Bashir Maan: A Book Review |
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By: FSTC Limited, Thu 24 July, 2008 |
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Information on the long and varied relationship between Islam and Scotland that began as early as the 7th century is non-existent. The Thistle and the Crescent by Bashir Maan has been written to fill this gap. Mrs Margaret Morris reviews this book which covers the history of the relationship between Scotland and Islam, as well as an account of the experiences of Muslims in contemporary Scotland and an account of the beliefs and practices of Islam which counteracts many misconceptions.
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Science under Islam: A Reflection on Past Brilliancy and Future Revival |
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By: Dr. Salim Ayduz, Thu 17 January, 2008 |
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This is a review of a book by Sayyed Misbah Deen, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science (Keele University), describing the adventure of science and technology in Islam from four standpoints: the rise of science and technology in the Islamic Golden Age.
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