Geography
This sea lies to the north of Africa and was central to the spread of Islamic civilization.
Mediterranean Sea.
This caravan animal carried goods across deserts and could be part of a group as large as 5,000.
Camel
This type of written religious artwork, often seen in Qur'an manuscripts, is highly valued in Islamic art.
Calligraphy
This Turkish leader founded the dynasty that grew into the Ottoman Empire around 1300.
Osman I
What name is given to the series of religious wars where European Christians sought control of the Holy Land?
The Crusades
Name the two rivers that start in the mountains of modern Turkey, merge in Iraq, and flow into the Persian Gulf.
Tigris and Euphrates.
Name two luxury goods and two everyday goods that were commonly traded in the Islamic world.
Luxury: silk, spices, fur, incense. Everyday: salt, grain
Name the mathematician known for popularizing Hindu-Arabic numerals and often called the “father of algebra.”
Al-Khwārizmī.
In 1453, this city fell to Mehmed II and later became the Ottoman capital.
Constantinople
Who was the Muslim leader whose 1187 campaign led to the 3rd Crusade and later negotiated terms allowing Christians to visit Jerusalem?
Saladin
Which large desert in North Africa blocked movement and influenced settlement and trade?
The Sahara Desert.
What technology from China spread through Islamic trade routes in the eighth century and later reached Western Europe?
Papermaking
Which Islamic scholar wrote the Canon of Medicine and influenced medical teaching?
Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
Name two reasons listed for the rapid growth of the Ottoman Empire.
Concentrated power in one leader/family; strong military with cannons; unity under Islam; alliances across groups; centralized government.
Give one economic and one cultural effect the Crusades had on Europe.
Economic: increased trade between Europe and Middle East; Cultural: spread of Islamic scientific and medical knowledge to Europe.
List the three bodies of water that surround the Arabian Peninsula.
Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf.
Identify one reason paper and books helped Islamic civilization grow.
Paper made copying and distributing books easier, helping spread knowledge and learning.
Give one scientific contribution from Ibn al-Haytham and one navigational tool improved by Muslim scholars.
Ibn al-Haytham discovered that light travels in straight lines / improved experimental method; astrolabe (and quadrants) improved for navigation.
During the Ottoman Golden Age (1481–1566), one ruler’s reign saw major artistic and architectural achievements. Name that ruler.
Suleyman I (Suleyman the Magnificent)
What was the Reconquista and in what year was the last Muslim stronghold expelled from the Iberian Peninsula?
The Reconquista was the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula; last Muslim stronghold expelled in 1492.
Explain how Southwest Asia’s location at the meeting point of three continents helped its economic development.
Its position where Europe, Asia, and Africa meet made it a crossroads for traders and ideas, increasing trade, cultural exchange, and the spread of Islam.
Describe how merchant activity during pilgrimages (the Hajj) contributed to trade and cultural exchange
Pilgrims sold goods during journeys and networked with people from many regions, spreading religion, goods, and technologies.
Explain how preservation and translation of Greek and Roman texts affected later European history.
Translated works reintroduced classical knowledge to Europe, fueling learning and later the Renaissance.
Explain how Mehmed II’s rule contributed to both education and law in Constantinople.
He established colleges (advancing science and math) and compiled criminal laws into a unified code.
Write a two-sentence diary-entry prompt: from the perspective of a Muslim resident of the Holy Land during the Crusades — what three emotions or concerns should the student include?
Include fear for safety, anger at invasion, concern for family and preservation of holy sites — e.g., “I fear for my family as armies battle near our city. I am angry at the invaders and worry the holy places will be damaged.”