Question

Besides the university library [in Cordova], Arab statisticians assure us the city boasted 37 libraries, numberless bookstores, 800 public schools…and a total population of 300,000. Its people enjoyed a high standard of living and refinement and walked on paved streets…all this at a time when hardly a town in Europe, Constantinople excepted, counted more than a few thousand inhabitants. Parisians [in France] and Londoners [in England] were still trudging on muddy, dark alleys.

Note: The Islamic capital of Cordova (in present-day Spain) was described by a contemporary as the "jewel of the world." European scholars preferred Cordova's Islamic schools and universities over other study sources in Europe.
Based only on this document, what were the effects of Islamic Civilization in the Middle Ages?

Answer 1

Based only on this document, the effects of Islamic civilization in the Middle Ages included:

- Major advances in education and scholarship — Cordova had a university and 37 libraries, indicating organized higher learning and abundant written knowledge.
- Wide public schooling and literacy infrastructure — the presence of 800 public schools and “numberless bookstores” suggests broad access to education and books.
- Large, prosperous urban centers — a population of about 300,000 and the description “jewel of the world” show Islamic cities could be far larger and more important than most European towns of the time.
- Higher standards of living and urban infrastructure — people “enjoyed a high standard of living,” refinement, and “walked on paved streets,” implying better public works and quality of life.
- Cultural and intellectual leadership that attracted foreigners — European scholars preferred Cordova’s Islamic schools and universities, so Islamic civilization influenced and drew students from Europe.

Overall, the document portrays Islamic civilization as a center of learning, urban development, and cultural influence during the Middle Ages.