1001 Inventions is an award-winning international educational project dedicated to the history of science and technology in Muslim civilization during the period known as the Golden Age. The project encompasses online[1] and traditional publishing[2], films[3] and both static and traveling exhibitions[4][5][6][7]. The 1001 Inventions project was created by the Manchester-based non-profit Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation, chaired by Professor Salim Al-Hassani.[8]
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1001 Inventions was launched in 2006 with a traveling exhibition at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry and an accompanying hardback book.[9][10] This first exhibition then went on to tour the United Kingdom[11], visiting Birmingham Thinktank, Glasgow Science Centre[12], National Museum Cardiff[13] and Museum of Croydon[14][15].
The same traveling exhibition also displayed at the British Parliament in London[16][17], the European Parliament in Brussels[18] and at the United Nations in New York[19].
In January 2010, 1001 Inventions launched a new and much larger traveling exhibition at the Science Museum in London[20][21]. Prior to its public opening the entire content of the exhibition was reviewed by an independent panel of expert historians. More than 400,000 people attended the exhibition during its five month run at the London Science Museum.[22] During its run in London, the exhibition was visited by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who requested the exhibition be displayed in Istanbul during the month of Ramadan later in the year.
In August 2010, the 1001 Inventions traveling exhibition opened in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square[23]. The exhibition was open in Istanbul for a period of seven weeks and attracted more than 400,000 visitors during that time. The exhibition also received positive support at local and national levels from politicians[24] and the Turkish media[25]
In December 2010, the 1001 Inventions traveling exhibition opened at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, New York City for a five month residency[26][27][28]. The exhibition ended its run in New York on April the 27th 2011.
The 1001 Inventions traveling exhibition is opened at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on May the 27th 2011 and is expected to display there until December the 31st 2011[29]. The exhibition's Californian residency was launched by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.[30][31][32]
In 2012, the 1001 Inventions traveling exhibition will open at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC[33].
In May 2011, the 1001 Inventions exhibition was declared Best Temporary/Touring Exhibition 2011 at the annual Museums and Heritage Awards in London.[34]
1001 Inventions and The Library of Secrets[35] is an internationally renowned award-winning educational film[36][37][38][39][40] starring Sir Ben Kingsley[41]. The film is an integral part of the 1001 Inventions traveling exhibition.