Inventions

The Umayyad Empire is important not because it invented many brand-new things, but because it spread ideas, tools, and knowledge across a huge area. Their empire connected Asia, Africa, and Europe, allowing inventions from one place to travel far and wide. By improving and sharing these ideas, the Umayyads helped shape the world we live in today.

The Umayyads helped spread and improve many important ideas:

• Chess, a thinking game from India, which spread to many countries and is still played today

• Paper, which made books easier to make so more people could read and learn

• Numbers we use today (1, 2, 3…), which made math and counting much easier

• Tools for the stars, like the astrolabe, which helped people travel, tell time, and pray in the right direction towards Mecca

• Maps, including very good maps of the Indian Ocean, which helped sailors find their way

• Building designs, especially mosques with domes, arches, and open courtyards

The Umayyads helped connect different parts of the world by sharing ideas and knowledge, making learning spread farther than ever before.