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1001 Inventions Museum ExhibitBy Sarah MacedoDECEMBER 3, 2011

+MUSEUM EXHIBIT

BASIC INFORMATION:

“1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in Our World, traces the forgotten story of a thousand years of

science from the Muslim world, from the 7th century onwards. The free exhibition looks at the social,

scientific and technological achievements that are credited to the Muslim world, whilst celebrating the

shared scientific heritage of other cultures.” --http://www.1001inventions.com/

Where: California Science Center (in LA)

When: Until December 31, 2011

+REVELANCE TO LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY:

When I saw this exhibit, I was constantly reminded of what I had learned in the When the Moors Ruled in Spain video and Empires of the Sea. They had exhibits on architecture, medicine, science, astronomy, sailing, and mathematical achievements in the Islamic world that undoubtedly would have had effects on Spain even after they were no longer a part of the Islamic Empire.

It also explored the “global” trade networks

Many of the inventions, especially those in architecture, I had heard about in the film.

+Important Figures

The exhibit introduced historical figures in a variety of ways. There were videos of actors portraying the historical people, written descriptions (like the one to the left), and even a few live actors!

Some of the individuals discussed frequently in the exhibit were Zhen He, a Chinese explorer, and Al-Jazari, who was an early engineer and inventor of the Elephant Clock.

Several other key figures were introduced during a 15 film at the beginning of the exhibit.

+Math and Medicine

The picture to the right is of an exhibit dedicated to Arabic Numerals. As discussed in the When the Moors Ruled in Spain video, these numbers were greatly influential in Europe because they enabled calculations that were unfeasible using Roman Numerals.

It was interesting to see how some of the medical innovations from the Islamic Empire are still influencing medicine today, like the use of Catgut for stitches as developed by Al-Zahrawi

+Architecture and Astronomy

One of the exhibits had a model of a typical house and explained the social and functional use of each element. When I saw the interior courtyard, I was reminded of how they used to secretly practice their religion in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition by using a creative design that enabled them to celebrate religious ceremonies in the courtyard that would not have been visible at the front door.

Al-Astrulabi (pictured to the right) helped invent an effective astrolabe that greater enabled travel and exploration.

+Using Technology to Share History

Much of the modern technology discussed in this class pertains to using it to make historical breakthroughs and aid with excavations. This

exhibit demonstrates the use of the technology to share historical information. Through interactive maps, games, puzzles, and

demonstrations technology is used to give the viewer a better understanding of the lasting achievements and influence of the Islamic

Empire.