IDEA OF GOD OR GEOGRAPHY BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM IN THE PERIOD OF THE MIDDLE AGES: REFLEXIONS ON THE EXAMPLE OF THREE CITIES

This paper analyzes the development of geographical thinking within the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages on the basis of three examples. When using these examples, the method of comparison and geographical method were used. Traditional interpretation emphasizes the renaissance takeover of geographical ideas as a result of the transmission of ancient geographical knowledge preserved by the Arabs, and then transferred to Europe [6]. At that time, geographers used four terms before they used the word geography as an indication of a special subject that deals with the earth. The four terms that Muslim geographers used were: knowledge of latitude and longitude, knowledge of country evaluation, knowledge of routes and kingdoms and knowledge of the strangers [1]. Geographic learning was a part of philosophical thinking [12] in addition to the destruction of some of the most important treasuries of ancient scientific thought, primarily Alexandria libraries, some of the most important works of ancient philosophers (e.g. Aristotle, Plato, etc.) have been translated by Palestinian monks to Syrian language. During the Islamic golden period (8 -12 c.), these books were translated into Arabic (e.g. Almagest) and the most important scientific center and the largest library of the then world was the House of Wisdom in Baghdad [5]. These texts were then translated from Arabic into Latin, making them widely available. The most famous center in the Arab world, where scientific works were translated into Latin, during the 11 and 12 century was the Aristotle School in Baghdad. [21].