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Arabick Roots

Past Exhibition

This exhibition reveals how vital the "Arabick" roots of knowledge were to 17th-century Western scholars.

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The exhibition displays rare books, scientific instruments and correspondence, showing how science and culture from Muslim civilisations influenced and inspired key figures such as Edmund Halley and Robert Boyle. Early Fellows of The Royal Society in London eagerly pursued works in Arabic and Persian as well as communicating with their intellectual contemporaries in the Arabic-speaking world.

Scholars of the time used the term ‘Arabick’ to refer to languages that used Arabic script, including Arabic, Persian and Ottoman, which they learned in their quest to unlock a treasury of knowledge.

At a time when international collaboration is increasingly important to the advancement of science, Arabick Roots reveals the rich and often surprising history of scientific communication between two very different cultures.

Explore the Virtual Exhibition Download the Exhibition Catalogue (PDF)

The exhibition is sponsored by the Qatar Foundation. The research for Arabick Roots has been sponsored by the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) and the exhibition curator is FSTC Fellow Dr. Rim Turkmani.