A brand-new exhibition entitled 1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in Our World, was unveiled at the Science Museum.
Tracing the forgotten story of a thousand years of science from the Muslim world, from the 7th century onwards, the exhibition which runs until 25 April 2010, looks at the social, scientific and technical achievements that are credited to the Muslim world, whilst celebrating the shared scientific heritage of other cultures. The exhibition is a British based project, produced in association with the Jameel Foundation.
Featuring a diverse range of exhibits, interactive displays and dramatisation, the exhibition shows how many modern inventions, spanning fields such as engineering, medicine and design, can trace their roots back to Muslim civilisation.
One of the focal points of the exhibition is a six-metre high replica of the 'Elephant Clock'- a visually striking early 13th century clock whose design fuses together elements from many cultures and is featured alongside a short feature film starring Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley as Al-Jazari, inventor of the fabled clock.
Other exhibits featured in this interactive exhibition include:
Model of an energy efficient and environmentally-friendly Baghdad house.
A large 3 metre reproduction Al-Idrisi's 12th-century world map.
Model of Zheng He's Chinese junk ship - originally a 15th century wooden super structure over 100 metres long.
Medical instruments from a thousand year ago, many of which are still used today.
Model of a 9th-century dark room, later called Camera Obscura, which Ibn al-Haytham used to revolutionise our understanding of optics.
1001 Inventions was created by the Manchester-based Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC). The exhibition will run from 21st January until 25th April 2010 (with a short closure between 25th Feb and 12th March 2010 inclusive).
1001 Inventions offers a fascinating backdrop for evening corporate events for up to 250 guests. The exhibition can be hired exclusively for receptions or in conjunction with one of the Museum's other stunning interactive galleries for gala dinners.