The House of Wisdom was a highly respected library that not only held books, but collected and preserved them. The main purpose of this vast library was to translate Persian books into Arabic, which later expanded into the translation of Persian, Indian and Greek texts. It was built during the 19th century and was founded by Caliph Al-Ma'mun. He was born in 786 and died in 833 after leading a life full of passion for knowledge. He was a caliph during the period when the Abbasid Caliphate strove to integrate ethnic and religious minorities into their culture, which is what gave rise to the Islamic Golden Age. As a young man, al-Ma'mun was very interested in learning, studied everything from arithmetic to poetry, and was a brilliant student of philosophy and theology. While he was not the only caliph to support scholarship, al-Ma'mun was by far the most learned and passionate; he created an environment that supported original thinking and free debate. Long before his reign, al-Ma'mun's great-grandfather, al-Mansur, began the translation movement. This movement was the foundation of the House of Wisdom; the idea spread that the search for knowledge was a necessary factor for the life of society. Among the many scholars who worked in the House of Wisdom was Al-Khawarizmi, known as the father of algebra. Born around 800 in Baghdad, al-Khwarizmi worked in the House of Wisdom as a scholar. Being involved in the center's translation of ancient scientific knowledge has helped it develop a unique understanding of the world's accumulated wisdom. Its importance lies in the discoveries of mathematical knowledge that was later transferred to Arab and European scholars. His masterpiece, a book of clear explanations of what would become all......half paper......lost their power following the Mongol invasions, the wisdom contained in the vast library was destroyed along with l the entire city of Baghdad. However, due to the vast learning networks established during the Islamic Golden Age, academic knowledge was saved and deposited in various parts of Islamic culture. Works Cited http://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/sep/ 23/research.highereducation1Tom Sizgorich, Abbasid Dynasty (Jim Al-Khalili, The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance ( London: Penguin Books, 2010), 6.Al-Khalili, The House of Wisdom, 4.Ibid., 37-38Tom Sizgorich, al-KhwarizmiStockdale, Nancy, Abbasid Caliphate: The Abbasids: Patrons of the Islamic Golden Age, In World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2004. http://ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/.