This artwork places the House of Wisdom within the centre of Baghdad’s Round City, reflecting its position at the heart of Abbasid intellectual life. While the exact architectural plan of the institution is not preserved, its role and stature within the city are firmly recorded. The House of Wisdom was the foremost research, translation and scientific centre of the early medieval world. It grew under the patronage of caliphs such as Harun al Rashid and his son al Ma'mun, evolving from a palace library into a vast scholarly institution that shaped the course of global knowledge.
The House of Wisdom served several functions at once. It was a translation academy where Greek philosophical and scientific texts were rendered into Arabic with extraordinary precision. It was a research institute where mathematicians, physicians, engineers, astronomers and geographers conducted original work. It housed libraries that stored the most extensive collection of manuscripts in the Islamic world. It also operated as a meeting place where scholars of different backgrounds exchanged ideas, debated arguments and refined theories. Figures such as Hunayn ibn Ishaq, Thabit ibn Qurra, al Khwarizmi and the Banu Musa brothers produced advancements here that transformed algebra, geometry, optics, mechanics, medical science and planetary astronomy. The institution’s influence reached across the Abbasid Empire into North Africa and al Andalus, and many of its translated and original works later became cornerstones of European learning.
Baghdad’s Round City, built by al Mansur in the eighth century, was designed as a perfect circle with the caliphal palace and administrative complex at its core. The House of Wisdom operated within this central district, close to the caliphs who funded and protected its work. Its location symbolised the Abbasid belief that knowledge belonged at the centre of political and cultural life, not at its margins. Through centuries of scholarship, the House of Wisdom became a monument of human curiosity and a turning point in scientific history. It marked a moment when translation, research and experimentation were treated as collective civilisational duties, elevating Baghdad into one of the foremost intellectual capitals of the world.
Every artwork in the Riwayah collection is available in four premium display formats, crafted to suit every home and interior style. Our canvas prints offer a rich, textured finish that brings depth and character to each piece, stretched on FSC-certified wooden bars for a refined gallery feel. For a minimalist and versatile look, our magnetic hangers use durable pine wood to hold your print securely without marking it, making it easy to change artwork whenever you like. Those seeking a classic, museum-style presentation can choose our premium wooden frames, crafted from responsibly sourced oak or ash with visible natural grain and protected with shatterproof plexiglass. And for a sleek, contemporary finish, our aluminium frames pair clean black metal with heavyweight matte paper for a polished, modern aesthetic. All prints use FSC-certified paper and high-quality inks, arrive ready to hang or assemble, and are produced on demand in the UK to reduce waste and ensure the highest standard of craftsmanship.
