지혜의 전당(Bayt al-Ḥikmah)이 아랍이슬람세계 학문발전에 끼친 영향 연구 -도서관 기능을 중심으로-

Abstract

This paper conducts a study on the effect of Bayt al-Ḥikmah in diffusing knowledge and popularizing education in the Arab Islamic world by founding various libraries. Bayt al-Ḥikmah was built at the beginning of the Abbasid dynasty for preserving foreign books obtained from conquered territories. Its academic function having been added during the reign of Hārūn al-Rashīd, it was developed into a comprehensive academyin the reign of al-Maʾmūn. After al-Maʾmūn, however, it continued to exist as only a library till the end of the dynasty. Books were acquired by various means: they were taken as booty, or bought by special delegations to neighbor countries, or donated by satraps. They were well categorized according to an exact classification system, and taken care of by a general manager, khāzin or amīn, and assistant staff, mushrif or munāwil. In addition, translators and copyists played important roles in Bayt al-Ḥikmah. In the Arab Islamic world, Bayt al-Ḥikmah produced a number of libraries, like public, semi-public, and private libraries, as well as libraries attached to schools or mosques. These libraries had great roles in spreading education and knowledge and functioning as centers for propagating some sectarian teachings and doctrines. The development of libraries contributed to the rise and progress of book-related industries, propelling and meeting the demands for new knowledge. The role of Bayt al-Ḥikmah as a library was a great cultural revolution and an intellectual wave that became a cornerstone of development of knowledge in the Arab Islamic world.