Geography of the Islamic Empire

During the Islamic Empire, the geography played a big role in the spread of Islam, the growth of the Empire, and the Golden Age. The center of the Empire was in Saudi Arabia. It was located on a peninsula surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. In addition, the peninsula was mostly desert and had very little rainfall and no major rivers or lakes. Many trade routes went through this area, which caused many cities to expand along the edges of the area. Also, because of scarce resources, there were many nomadic tribes like the Bedouins traveled from place to place in order to find food and water. The nomads would come to be helpful for guiding traders through the harsh terrain so that they could trade both goods and ideas with others. With the spread of news and ideas, many people could learn about Islam, and therefore more people became Muslim. Also, the Empire was in ideal location to conquer new land for the empire; consequently spreading culture and religion to other parts of the world. The geographical location and climate of the Arabian Peninsula ultimately contributed to the spread of Islam and the trade routes helped this Empire enter its Golden Age.


Thanks to its convenient location amid the trade routes, such as the Silk Road, the Islamic Empire was able to trade many goods, which would come to cause its Golden Age. The Silk Road was a very successful trade rout going through parts of Asia and Eastern Europe. This route carried many items that were in high demand; silk, gold, silver food, tapestries, and carpets were among some of the most commonly traded along this route. Consequently, all the trade caused the empire to gain a lot of wealthy, and with money comes power and riches, which are necessities for a civilizations Golden Age. Another way that geography contributed the golden age of the Islamic Empire is the ability for ideas to travel along the trade as would goods. Since people would talk about the new Islamic religion, people would travel to cities to convert and worship their god. This significantly contributed to the Spread of Islam, therefore causing the Muslim population to grow. Overall, the trade routes going through the empire spread both wealth and ideas over hundreds of miles.

Another reason the geography contributed the growth of the Islamic Empire was the positions of Baghdad and Mecca. Both of these cities were important trading ports in the Empire and people would travel for miles just to sell their products in the Bazaar. In addition, Mecca was the religious center for Islam and many people traveled there every year to make their hajj. Other people would travel to learn and study Islam and even convert to that religion. The cities would prove to be instrumental in the expansion of Islam and Golden Age of the Empire.

Works Cited
"Silk Road - Trading Goods." Advantour: Tourism in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia : Travel Guides. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.advantour.com/silkroad/goods.htm>.