This display represents twin streams of influence on European science from the Islamic world: through the original works of Islamic scientists, and through the preservation of ancient Greek texts that had been lost in Western Europe. Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham (965–1039), considered to be the father of modern optics, authored the landmark Kitāb al-Manāẓir (The Book of Optics), a dramatic advance in the study of the behavior of light. Also on display, the first edition of Euclid’s Elements printed in Arabic with commentary by Persian scientist Nasir al-Din al-Tusi.
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