Observatories and centres of learning: facts and a 5-question quiz

Observatories, hospitals and paper towns: where medieval Muslim science happened. This is a map-tap quiz with 5 questions, each worth more points as the questions get harder.

Play the quiz: Observatories and centres of learning

What this quiz covers

Era: medieval. Region: Asia and Spain. The 5 questions are about the following, with a short fact for each. Read them first if you want a head start, or skip to the quiz and read afterwards.

Facts behind the questions (spoilers)

• Gundeshapur: Gundeshapur (Jundishapur) was a Sasanian city whose hospital is first mentioned in 765, when the caliph al-Mansur summoned its head, a Bukhtishu, to Baghdad.
• Samarkand (Ulugh Beg Observatory): Ulugh Beg was a Timurid ruler and astronomer.
• Balkh: The Barmakid family, who rose to power under Harun al-Rashid, had roots in Balkh and its Buddhist monastery of Nawbahar.
• Maragheh: The Maragheh Observatory was founded under Hülegü and became a research centre for astronomy and mathematics.
• Xàtiva: Papermaking reached the Iberian Peninsula through al-Andalus.

Quick answers

What should I know about Gundeshapur? Gundeshapur (Jundishapur) was a Sasanian city whose hospital is first mentioned in 765, when the caliph al-Mansur summoned its head, a Bukhtishu, to Baghdad.

What should I know about Samarkand (Ulugh Beg Observatory)? Ulugh Beg was a Timurid ruler and astronomer.

What should I know about Balkh? The Barmakid family, who rose to power under Harun al-Rashid, had roots in Balkh and its Buddhist monastery of Nawbahar.

Ready to test yourself?

Play the Observatories and centres of learning quiz now. Your score is based on how close your answers are, and you can share your result without spoiling the answers.

More quizzes like this

• Birthplaces of the great hadith and tafsir scholars
• Birthplaces of Islam's scientists and philosophers
• Places on famous medieval Muslim journeys