
On a recent visit to Istanbul, I noticed a new structure in the historic Sultanahmet area where the Ayasofya, the Sultan Ahmet (Blue Mosque), the Hippodrome and several other imposing monuments are located. Some of these trace their history back to the 3rd century BC. The new structure housed the 1001 Inventions exhibition that traces the forgotten story of a thousand years of science from the Muslim world from the 7th century onwards, and how it was impacted by discoveries from other civilizations- the Indian, Persian, Greek and Chinese.On entering the exhibition I watched a film that showed the many technological feats that had been achieved in the Muslim world, including those that formed the precursors to modern day inventions such as the very film that I was watching. Ibn al Haytham, an eminent philosopher and mathematician observed light coming in from a small hole made in the shutters of a window. Further observation and experimentation led to the invention of the Camera Obscura, the first camera in history. This has led to the sophisticated digital imaging processes of today, including the making of films and their projection on screens, apart