Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
Source: https://museum.kaust.edu.sa
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:09
Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
Applying to
KAUST
Visit KAUST
العربية
Top
Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
Celebration of the Golden Age of Islam
About the Museum
The Museum’s presence on the University campus is intended to expose the University’s modern-day researchers to the rich historical foundation on which their University has been built, and the illustrious footsteps in which they follow.
The Museum celebrates the contributions of Muslim scholars to science and technology during the first Golden Age of Islam from the 650 to 1650. These Muslim scholars include amongst them the great scientists, inventors, engineers, mathematicians and teachers of that time, such as Jabir ibn Hayyan, Abbas bin Firnas, al-Kindi, al-Razi, al-Jazari and Taqi al-Din.
The Museum demonstrates how their contributions shaped the world as we know it today and how their pioneering work laid the foundation for modern civilization. The benefits of their work are all around us today.
Museum Vision
The Vision of the Museum is to showcase the concept of the ancient ‘Houses of Wisdom’ on whose legacy the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is based.
Museum Mission
The Mission of the Museum is to create a world class facility for teaching and learning about Islamic contributions to science and technology.
House of Wisdom
The Islamic Golden Age began in the 7th century and lasted until the 17th century. It was a time when the people living in area were encouraged by their faith to use their critical thinking skills to observe nature around them and to inquire, discover and invent.
It all started when Abbasside Caliph Al-Mansour established Baghdad as the center of culture, science and innovation. His first step on the road to discovery was to request the translation of books from earlier civilizations. Such a simple request, backed with a hunger for knowledge, led to the building of a library and translation center known as “The House of Wisdom”.
Read more:
+
Later, his grandson Haroun Al-Rasheed expanded the center until it filled an entire building. Its influence peaked during Al-Mamoun’s era, Al-Rasheed’s son, who turned it into an international research center where scientists from around the world with diverse backgrounds came together to study, discover and develop things to benefit humanity.
The House of Wisdom (HOW) in Baghdad was the first of several HOWs that spread across the Islamic world. They competed for the most talented and creative individuals, as it was a prestigious status symbol to belong to a HOW.
Transferring knowledge to next generations was important for Muslim scientists, which resulted in the creation of different learning institutions, including schools, universities and houses of wisdom.
In the 9th century, Muslims learned how to make paper from the Chinese. They realized the importance of paper to document their work, so papermaking and the production of books were of the top industries of the time.
With leaders’ interest in science, it became the social norm to encourage and support scientists, who in turn were respected by society. Their work was in high demand and they were awarded positions in government. Leaders like alMamun had a science department in their court, and would present questions for them to solve. Scientists were also granted endowments to enable them to focus on their scientific work.
During this time creativity thrived, and everyone wanted to add to the collective innovative melting pot. Scientists were famous for their merit and work, and were rewarded with gold.
This legacy was the inspiration behind King Abdullah’s vision for a new “House of Wisdom”. It would be a place where people from around the world would come together propelled by their merit, creativity and passion for science – a place where the history of a thousand years of innovation would continue into the future of humankind.
Explore the Museum
The Nine Clusters in the Museum
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m | Sunday to Thursday
Visit each individual cluster to learn more about a specific area
of Islamic scholarship.
The Museum is divided into nine clusters:
The Introductory cluster, entitled ‘Why did Science Flourish in Islam?’
Seven technical clusters, that showcase different aspects of Islamic contributions to science and technology
The Exit cluster, entitled ‘The Revival of Science in Islam’
The nine clusters are illustrated below.
In addition to the interactive displays, touch screens and working scale models, the Museum also includes many posters as well as projected images and quotations of famous Islamic scholars.
Chemistry
A stunning Chemistry Object theater production, and series of interactive exhibits.
Mathematics
The way in which Muslim mathematicians lead the development of arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry and algebra is explored in exciting interactive exhibits and games.
Life and Environmental Sciences
Muslim zoologists, botanists and geologists made important pioneering contributions to their fields of study. Visitors meet them through the medium of interactive exhibits and hands-on displays.
Art and Architecture
The role of mathematics and art in Islamic architecture is examined through interactive exhibits and models.
The Revival of Islamic Science
In the Exit Cluster, visitors are challenged to test their new found knowledge of Islamic science and technology in an interactive quiz.
Visit the Museum
Discover the KAUST Museum by visiting during the regular opening hours:
Sunday to Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
Click here
to arrange your visit.
For any inquiries, please contact us at
museum@kaust.edu.sa
.
Note: KAUST community members and their visitors are welcome to visit the museum without prior booking during regular opening hours.
Applying to
KAUST
Visit KAUST
العربية
Top
Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
Celebration of the Golden Age of Islam
About the Museum
The Museum’s presence on the University campus is intended to expose the University’s modern-day researchers to the rich historical foundation on which their University has been built, and the illustrious footsteps in which they follow.
The Museum celebrates the contributions of Muslim scholars to science and technology during the first Golden Age of Islam from the 650 to 1650. These Muslim scholars include amongst them the great scientists, inventors, engineers, mathematicians and teachers of that time, such as Jabir ibn Hayyan, Abbas bin Firnas, al-Kindi, al-Razi, al-Jazari and Taqi al-Din.
The Museum demonstrates how their contributions shaped the world as we know it today and how their pioneering work laid the foundation for modern civilization. The benefits of their work are all around us today.
Museum Vision
The Vision of the Museum is to showcase the concept of the ancient ‘Houses of Wisdom’ on whose legacy the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is based.
Museum Mission
The Mission of the Museum is to create a world class facility for teaching and learning about Islamic contributions to science and technology.
House of Wisdom
The Islamic Golden Age began in the 7th century and lasted until the 17th century. It was a time when the people living in area were encouraged by their faith to use their critical thinking skills to observe nature around them and to inquire, discover and invent.
It all started when Abbasside Caliph Al-Mansour established Baghdad as the center of culture, science and innovation. His first step on the road to discovery was to request the translation of books from earlier civilizations. Such a simple request, backed with a hunger for knowledge, led to the building of a library and translation center known as “The House of Wisdom”.
Read more:
+
Later, his grandson Haroun Al-Rasheed expanded the center until it filled an entire building. Its influence peaked during Al-Mamoun’s era, Al-Rasheed’s son, who turned it into an international research center where scientists from around the world with diverse backgrounds came together to study, discover and develop things to benefit humanity.
The House of Wisdom (HOW) in Baghdad was the first of several HOWs that spread across the Islamic world. They competed for the most talented and creative individuals, as it was a prestigious status symbol to belong to a HOW.
Transferring knowledge to next generations was important for Muslim scientists, which resulted in the creation of different learning institutions, including schools, universities and houses of wisdom.
In the 9th century, Muslims learned how to make paper from the Chinese. They realized the importance of paper to document their work, so papermaking and the production of books were of the top industries of the time.
With leaders’ interest in science, it became the social norm to encourage and support scientists, who in turn were respected by society. Their work was in high demand and they were awarded positions in government. Leaders like alMamun had a science department in their court, and would present questions for them to solve. Scientists were also granted endowments to enable them to focus on their scientific work.
During this time creativity thrived, and everyone wanted to add to the collective innovative melting pot. Scientists were famous for their merit and work, and were rewarded with gold.
This legacy was the inspiration behind King Abdullah’s vision for a new “House of Wisdom”. It would be a place where people from around the world would come together propelled by their merit, creativity and passion for science – a place where the history of a thousand years of innovation would continue into the future of humankind.
Explore the Museum
The Nine Clusters in the Museum
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m | Sunday to Thursday
Visit each individual cluster to learn more about a specific area
of Islamic scholarship.
The Museum is divided into nine clusters:
The Introductory cluster, entitled ‘Why did Science Flourish in Islam?’
Seven technical clusters, that showcase different aspects of Islamic contributions to science and technology
The Exit cluster, entitled ‘The Revival of Science in Islam’
The nine clusters are illustrated below.
In addition to the interactive displays, touch screens and working scale models, the Museum also includes many posters as well as projected images and quotations of famous Islamic scholars.
Chemistry
A stunning Chemistry Object theater production, and series of interactive exhibits.
Mathematics
The way in which Muslim mathematicians lead the development of arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry and algebra is explored in exciting interactive exhibits and games.
Life and Environmental Sciences
Muslim zoologists, botanists and geologists made important pioneering contributions to their fields of study. Visitors meet them through the medium of interactive exhibits and hands-on displays.
Art and Architecture
The role of mathematics and art in Islamic architecture is examined through interactive exhibits and models.
The Revival of Islamic Science
In the Exit Cluster, visitors are challenged to test their new found knowledge of Islamic science and technology in an interactive quiz.
Visit the Museum
Discover the KAUST Museum by visiting during the regular opening hours:
Sunday to Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
Click here
to arrange your visit.
For any inquiries, please contact us at
museum@kaust.edu.sa
.
Note: KAUST community members and their visitors are welcome to visit the museum without prior booking during regular opening hours.