They lived in the same city and in the same era, and together they shone a light on the world. Even after a millennium, they are once again bringing Turkmen soil to the world’s attention through the book The Genius of Their Age: Ibn Sina, Biruni, and the Lost Enlightenment, published by Oxford University Press.
The story, of course, concerns Abu Ali Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni. In this new work, American professor Frederick Starr reveals a truth long forgotten by many scholars: that the blessed land of Turkmenistan was once a cradle of science and learning.
Much can be said about this remarkable book, but before delving into a few facts, I would like to note this: we must not only take pride in our history — we must also learn from it.
According to the book, these two great thinkers lived in the territories of present-day Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Pakistan. In 993, more than a thousand years ago, a new dynasty seized power in Khwarezm. The Mamun family moved the capital from Kat to Urgench — modern-day Köneürgenç, within the borders of Turkmenistan.
Abu Ali Mamun received the title of “Shah of Khwarezm” from Baghdad. His son, Abul Abbas Mamun, and his vizier, Abul Hussein al-Suhayli, began inviting the greatest minds of the era to their court. Among them was the renowned physician and philosopher Abu Sahl al-Masihi, a Christian scholar from the Caspian region who was already residing in Gurganj and was persuaded to remain there.
Al-Masihi — who would later become the closest friend of Ibn Sina and Al-Biruni — wrote a treatise seeking an answer to whether the Earth moves or not, at a time when the prevailing belief held that the Earth stood still. Al-Biruni later conducted his own scientific research on this very question.
Another scholar invited to Urgench was Hasan bin Suwar bin al-Hammar, known as the “Second Hippocrates.” Also present was Abu Abdullah al-Natili, a physician and philosopher whose translated pharmacological work remained in use for a thousand years. He, too, was invited to Urgench and even to the home of Ibn Sina’s father to educate his children.
It is worth recalling that Ibn Sina’s father moved his family to Bukhara to provide his sons with the best possible education. Over a millennium ago, a father relocated to the scientific capital of his time so that his children could receive a world-class education. One of the book’s most striking observations is this: while poets were also present at the court, the scholars held greater influence.
The Shah of Khwarezm, Mamun, personally invited the brilliant young Biruni to his court. Ibn Sina, who had studied Islamic jurisprudence, was also invited to Urgench and was appointed to oversee the state’s legal affairs. He arrived there in 1004.
As the author notes, this early Renaissance blossomed in the easternmost part of the Islamic world — five centuries before the European Renaissance — and in some respects, even surpassed it. By 1017, Gurganj had become the global symbol of intellectual excellence in Central Asia.
According to the book, Biruni lived in Urgench between 997 and 1017, while Ibn Sina resided there between 1004 and 1011. In other words, for seven years these two geniuses lived in the same city — in what is now Köneürgenç — leaving an indelible mark on the history of world science.
Naturally, the book elaborates on their achievements, scientific works, and many other important details. Readers interested in learning more will find a wealth of information in its pages. The book is available on Amazon.
In my opinion, this book should soon be translated into Turkmen.
Most importantly, Turkmen scholars should study this and similar works deeply and promote the historical achievements of Turkmen civilization to the world. Our ancestors, through their great accomplishments, demonstrated to future generations that such heights are indeed attainable.
Prepared by:
Dr. Dovran Orazgylyjov
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Atavatan Turkmenistan International Magazine
Dr. Dovran Orazgylyjov
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Atavatan Turkmenistan International Magazine