The Growth of Cities and Trade

Urban: having to do with cities ​

​

​Other important muslim cities

​

Cordoba, Spain

​

Cairo, Egypt

​

​

​Islamic cities grew rapidly due to the strong economic foundations they held.

​

read pg 103

​

textiles: woven goods

imported from Egypt and Persia

steal swords from Damascus

and leather goods from Cordoba

​

​traders and merchants were highly respected.

​

Social Mobility: ability to rise in society

​

Souk: marketplace

​

where merchants bought and sold goods from around the empire

​

​

​The Islamic world was found between the Med. Sea and the Indian Ocean

• ideal trade route as it connected Europe, Africa, and Asia

​Arab dhows (small sailing ships) sailed from South Africa to east India

​

by land merchants traveled on camel caravans

​

​

​

​the most famous overland route

​

​

​improved trade

​

Muslim bankers would issue letters of credit that could be used ANYWHERE IN THE EMPIRE

​

a letter of credit: is a written record issued by one bank that allows a person to take money out of another bank

​

imagine you were a merchant in these times, what may have been a benefit of using a letter of credit?

​goods flowed into the Islamic cities from three continents:

Asia :

• China: silk, paper, and dishes

• India: spices, coconuts, gems, and woods

​Africa

• gold & salt

​Europe:

• Amber and furs ​