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Learner Reviews & Feedback for The Cosmopolitan Medieval Arabic World by Universiteit Leiden

4.8
stars
382 ratings

About the Course

Did you know that Arabic was for centuries the lingua franca in an area stretching from the south of Spain to the Chinese border? Did you know that the Middle East under Muslim rule in those days was the world’s beating heart of trade, but also of science and scholarship? Did you know that Islam in its formative period was heavily influenced by existing cultures in the region, like Indian, Greek, Persian and Byzantine culture? Did you know that for many centuries after the establishment of the Muslim Empire the majority of the population remained largely Christian and Jewish? Did you know that they held a protected status in Islamic law? Did you know that this generally open-minded, curious and open society stimulated many great innovations and inventions? Did you know that European scholarship in the Renaissance leaned heavily on the texts and inventions from the Middle East which were the outcome of this sophisticated advanced society? In this course we will focus on the fascinating history of the Arabic Medieval World. We will take you on a journey through the Middle Ages starting off in eighth-century Baghdad. Along the old pilgrim trails we will go to places like Mecca, Jerusalem and Najaf. We will show you the impressive markets of places like Cairo and Samarkand. However we will not hide the dark sides of society either, by introducing you to the flourishing widespread slave trade. We will visit the Abbasid court, the Harem of the caliph, and the palace of the Mamluk Sultan. We will show you some beautiful medieval manuscripts, that live on as the silent witnesses of the impressive achievements of scientists and medical doctors of this forgotten era. All along we will present you with historiographical debates and dilemma’s. Reflecting on the way we look at and interpret history. And while taking you on this journey, we will travel back and forth in time explaining to you how events of the past affected and shaped the world as we know it today. Welcome to the Cosmopolitan Medieval Arabic World! Enroll now and follow this course for free. --- Testimonial: Dear Prof. Sijpesteijn I am sending this email in gratitude for the Leiden University team for this course. Please thank the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs for offering it on Coursera, the Faculty of Humanities for creating the lovely course content and the excellent reading material. Rarely have I seen an MOOC that is this well-researched and thought through. This is in addition to the excellent resources provided and the creative media. I finished the course and presently doing the honors-track. If I may introduce myself, I am Radi Radi, a Palestinian-Jordanian who lives on "Shajaret Al Dur" St. in Amman, Jordan. It was quite an coincidence to learn about her here. I work as a pilot and currently we are not flying anywhere currently so I thought of finishing this course. I am a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Ryerson Univeristy, Canada and this really felt like the 100-level electives I took in that it really is a university-level course. I have bought a few books that I have read about in your course and that meant that I have something else to do in this corona-imposed hiatus. After Once aviation kicks back into gear, I hope to be flying to Amsterdam Again. When that happens, I plan on bringing you guys a gift from Amman for your efforts. Many Thanks Radi Radi...

Top reviews

KW

May 30, 2022

I learned so much in this course. I definitelyrecommend doing the extra readings and assignments in the honors track. The extra knowledge is worth the effort. I am delighted I found this course!

DG

Dec 10, 2019

Thank you for this beautiful course ! I learned a lot and most important, as a European, this course changed my vision of the Islamic world. This course opens my mind. Thank you !

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1 - 25 of 123 Reviews for The Cosmopolitan Medieval Arabic World

By René V

Jan 6, 2019

I learned much about the islamic world and the reasons for the rise of Islam as a word religion. Many of my stereotypes were shattered e.g. about harems and slavery. The many linked scientific texts helped me understand about core concepts of this hegemony.

One possible addendum could be a general outlook on the further fate of the Arabic world after the time period that was discussed in the course. As it stands, I found the course to end somewhat sudden.

By Radi R

Mar 27, 2020

Even to an "Arab" who is well read about the "Medieval" part of this world, this course was interesting and quite informative.

If you want to understand more about the Islamic empire at its zenith, this is as good of a place as any to start

I owe gratitude for the Leiden University team for creating the lovely course content and the excellent reading material. Rarely have I seen an MOOC that is this well-researched and thought through. This is in addition to the excellent resources provided and the creative media. I finished the course and presently doing the honors-track.

I am a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Ryerson Univeristy, Canada and this really felt like the 100-level electives I took in that it really is a university-level course.

i have bought a few books that I have read about in your course and that meant that I have something else to do in this corona-imposed hiatus. After

By Wafaa A

Jan 1, 2019

Well structured course, elaborate in terms of areas covered and exercises. But, I think some of exercises needed more time (the two about Orientalism and Slavery) as both the topics were very important and required more research and reading. Instructors presented the materials in an eloquent and clear manner. What I liked the most was instructor's speaking at the right pace, and this was very convenient to me as a non-native English speaker. I learned a lot, so thank you very much! and I will definitely try to take future courses from your university.

By christine

Aug 22, 2019

This course is very informative, showing the ancient Arab world from many angles.The teachers' way of giving lectures was lively and interesting, which made the course infinitely charming. I quickly finished all the courses.It's so interesting.This course has also increased my desire to know more about the Arab world, which I plan to explore further in the future.Thank you for teaching.

By Charles

Jun 20, 2019

Excellent course, I greatly appreciate the unbiased viewpoint, I really can't thank you enough. I took this course as a means of knowing what questions to ask, rather than to answer preexisting questions. Thank you very much again, and I look forward to taking more courses.

By Miguel I

Jan 31, 2019

Great course with a wide array of materials that allowed me to understand better the important of Arab influence in Europe and worldwide.

By Sophia M

Jan 29, 2019

I love this class! It gives me easy access to a wealth of information I wasn't taught in school, and it's the perfect pacing for me.

By George H

Feb 17, 2020

Fascinating and good structured course, in the tradition of the Great European Orientalists

By Joy S

Feb 12, 2019

Enjoyable, unique, kind of fun.

By Romy E

Feb 26, 2021

A really interesting topic! I learned a lot, although I missed some basic information at the beginning about the exact region and exact period of time which will be covered. The content in the modules is jumping between times and countries, so you can get lost, if you are not searching information on your own. At least, the quizzes are very easy, so no challenge to pass the class :-)

By Vladimir K

May 10, 2020

The course is just rubbish. Very vague. Looks like a basic introduction. Not even a general timeline of main events is given. The student wouldn't understand what the medieval arabic world was geographycally, which peoples and countries comprised it, who were the main actors, what administration system looked like and so on. The lectures are too short. Many of them are devoted to side topics like orientalism or harem. The student is requested to read too many articles instead of listening to lectures. If I wanted to read about the arabic world I would read, but the precise purpose of subsribing to the course is to listen, not to read.

By Mohammed A R B

Mar 27, 2020

It was one of the best Coursera courses I have ever taken I enjoyed and learned a lot.

The content was awesome even for the learner who is native Arabic and contain a lot of valuable information.

I'm completely surprised that Leiden University could create wonderful course with nice team are specialist's in Arabic language, Islamic studies, Middle East civilization etc.

Which is unbelievable that Leiden University has Center for Islamic studies and society, special library and Leiden Islam blog all of these lead me to believe that Leiden University is one of the best universities around world.

By Leila B

Mar 30, 2021

The course works on many levels. It is an introduction to the subject but also includes references and materials which make it possible to follow some topics at a much deeper level. The visual materials were well chosen and presented beautifully, with real scholarly enthusiasm. The course was a real pleasure

The English transcriptions of the lectures have a number of errors - they seem to be machine transcriptions. It would be quite quick to correct them

By Beatriz m d

Feb 28, 2020

It has been a wonderful,excellent course.I have been able to do it without haste,due to the flexibility of Coursera.I recognize that you have known me a titlle.There are few courses in my country,I hope that one dayI will take a course on Al Ándalus.See you soon. Espero que entiendan el castellano,mis mas sinceras gracias a la profesora Petra,y a todos los que colaboraron para hacer este curso.

By Theresia B

May 23, 2020

This course was inspiring! I wished it went on longer, I was fascinated by the readings and it shared a great amount of information. I have always loved the Arabic world and this course definitely help me understand better the influence it had during the medieval times and the incredible inheritance Europe has received form the Arabic world. I greatly appreciated it, thank you!

By Peter B

Dec 30, 2018

A very nice introduction to the "islamic" civilization in the Middle Ages by prof. Petra Sijpesteijn and her team! It´s especially interesting to see how interconnected islamic and European societies were during that time period. And it makes you think how and why the islamic "Other" has been systematically marginalized by many European narratives in the last centuries...

By Abdelhadi S

Jan 4, 2019

It is an excellent course. I wish some of the material were more diverse to cover a wider range of subjects such as the Islamic law, philosophy, social life, schools of thought. I recognize that the information presented in the course are more than enough for someone who had had just dim ideas about The Cosmopolitan Medieval Arabic World

By Anastasia K

Feb 17, 2021

It is one of my favorite courses! It brings together in a very balanced way all the elements of adult education. Very interesting material, presented in an exceptional way. It motivated me to continue studying the Islamic world, even though I started out of a simple curiosity and search for new knowledge. I will miss the lessons!

By Deleted A

Mar 28, 2020

I really enjoyed the course, it gave me a lot of insight and fun. I highly recommend it if you want to open your mind and appreciate the diverse human civilizations. It goes beyond shallow introduction and contains a lot of scholastic contents. Thank you very much for putting together this beautiful course.

By Daniel H

May 26, 2020

A very interesting introduction to the study of the Medieval Arabic World, covering multiple subjects. The course approached complex issues with respect and depth, offering competing views on theses subjects, allowing the student to make their mind on them. Very recommended.

By Justine L

Apr 15, 2021

Course was well organized and presented. Videos and reading supplemented each other. Speakers were easy to understand and had a good grasp of the material. I came to this course knowing little about the subject matter, and believe I now have a good overview of the period.

By Terry M

Jan 18, 2021

The best Coursera course I have taken. I learned information and I learned how to be a more critical thinker; in other words a historian. Fabulous all around, and also very exciting the way the course linked to scholarly resources. I very highly recommend it.

By Krista W

May 30, 2022

I learned so much in this course. I definitelyrecommend doing the extra readings and assignments in the honors track. The extra knowledge is worth the effort. I am delighted I found this course!

By Didier G

Dec 11, 2019

Thank you for this beautiful course ! I learned a lot and most important, as a European, this course changed my vision of the Islamic world. This course opens my mind. Thank you !

By Leon B

Sep 17, 2020

From this course, I gain more knowledge and insight about Medieval Arabic World. Also, to correct some Orientalists pictures of the Medieval Arabic World.