"Highly Prized Knowledge", artistic impression

Artist's impression of a group of learners in the golden age of Muslim civilisation, by Ali Amro.

Ibn al-Haytham lived at a golden age of science and innovation in the Muslim world. Knowledge was highly prized. In Basra for example, the birth place of Ibn al-Haytham, the library held more than 15,000 books which included ancient works that were translated into Arabic.