1001 Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry
with jabir ibn hayyan
Raising awareness about chemistry and its applications in daily lives
NARRATIVE
Bringing to life remarkable pioneers from the history of science, “1001 Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry” takes audiences through a journey of the birth and development of the science of chemistry, focussing on the work of the pioneering polymath Jabir ibn Hayyan, also known as Geber, in the 8th century.
TAKE PART
Make a difference through your actions. Explore the various ways in which you can take part in a journey from Alchemy to Chemistry – whether through participating in an event, setting up an event at your school, helping introduce new people to amazing history.
PARTNERS
1001 Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry is produced in partnership with 1001 Inventions and UNESCO.
NARRATIVE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCIENCE OF CHEMISTRY
Bringing to life remarkable pioneers from the history of science, “1001 Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry” takes audiences through a journey of the birth and development of the science of chemistry, focussing on the work of the pioneering polymath Jabir ibn Hayyan, also known as Geber, in the 8th century.
Produced by 1001 Journeys in partnership with UNESCO and 1001 Inventions, the production aims to spark young people’s interest in science and raise awareness about chemistry and its applications while promoting diversity and intercultural appreciation.
ASSETS
TRANS-MEDIA ASSETS
1001 Journeys reaches millions of people globally through employing trans-media production techniques – developing multiple assets for each production making it appealing to different audience groups, through the medium of film, live shows, exhibits, live events, educational materials and books.
TAKE PART
TAKE PART.. MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Hosting an event, organising a school fair, watching a film, or organising an awareness campaign for your friends and family are all ways in which you can take part in 1001 Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry. Find out more below.
THE CHARACTERS
JABIR IBN HAYYAN
Also known in Europe as Geber, Jabir Ibn Hayyan was the son of a druggist. He spent most of his life in Kufa, Iraq and devised and perfected sublimation, liquefaction, crystallization, distillation, purification, amalgamation, oxidation, evaporation, and filtration.
He made thorough experiments detailing his work in his many books. Jabir is thought of today as one of the world’s first real chemists.
AL-RAZI
Known in the West as Rhazes, Al-Razi wrote The Book of the Secret of the Secrets. In this, he proved himself to be a greater expert than all his predecessors, including Jabir, in the exact classification of natural substances. He divided them into earthly, vegetable, and animal substances, while also adding a number of artificially obtained materials like lead oxide, caustic soda, and various alloys.
DIMITRI MENDELEEV
Russian chemist and inventor. He is best remembered for formulating the Periodic Law and creating a farsighted version of the periodic table of elements.
GREEK PHILOSOPHER
Ancient Greek thinkers and philosophers tried to understand what the world was made of, they thought everything was made of four elements: Earth, Water, Air and Fire.
PRODUCTION ASSETS
ANIMATED LECTURE
The animated lecture takes young audiences on a journey through an exciting world of science from over one thousand years ago bringing to life the contributions to the foundations of modern chemistry by lesser-known pioneers from ancient civilisations. Lecture by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, renowned scientist, author and broadcaster.
LIVE SHOW
Interactive and immersive on-stage experiments weaved in a theatrically themed performance bringing to life stories of the journey from alchemy to chemistry by remarkable pioneers.
WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES
Workshops and demonstrations that spark participants’ imagination and creativity while helping improve their understanding of chemistry and its numerous applications.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Educational guide with workshops and demonstrations to celebrate science, chemistry and diversity. Available in English, Arabic, French and German.
EVENTS AND EXHIBITS
This global initiative continues its global tour in partnership with museums, science centres, festivals, schools, and libraries to raise awareness of the importance of chemistry and its applications and inspire a future generation of scientists while promoting diversity.
TAKE PART
HOST EVENT
Celebrate science and chemistry and bring “1001 Inventions: Journeys from Alchemy to Chemistry” to your venues and events to offer audiences a wondrous journey full of fun and learning through a range of engaging science and cultural experiences.
RUN SCHOOL ACTIVITY
Celebrate science, chemistry and diversity by running the workshops and demonstrations in this educational guide with your children and pupils! Complement the activities in this educational guide by first watching the animated lecture. Contact us for details.
CREATE AWARENESS
UsE materials available online from 1001 Journeys to create awareness in your school, work, neighbourhood.
WATCH ANIMATED LECTURE
Learn about the fascinating story of the secret world of alchemy and how it became the foundation of the science of chemistry. Lecture by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, renowned scientist, author and broadcaster.
READ BOOKS AND ARTICLES
Expand your knowledge by reading about the development of chemistry. Click below for a full list of related articles.
Links to Articles – Alchemy to Chemistry
From rose water to hair dye, soap to paint, early chemists worked to create a panoply of useful substances. As early as the middle of the ninth century, experimenters in Muslim civilisation were aware of the processes of crystallisation, oxidation, evaporation, sublimation, and filtration. Read full article.
Jabir ibn Hayyan, also known in Europe as Geber, was the son of a druggist who spent most of his life in Kufa, Iraq. He devised and perfected sublimation, liquefaction, crystallization, distillation, purification, amalgamation, oxidation, evaporation, and filtration. He also wrote about how chemicals combined, without loss of character, to form a union of elements together that were too small for the naked eye to see. Read full article.
Al-Biruni’s definition of the pharmacist could have been written today. Along the road from sympathetic magic and shamanism to scientific method, much trailblazing was carried out over a few centuries by scholars, alchemists, physicians and polymaths of the Muslim Middle East, and their rules, procedures and expectations are, to a great extent, practiced almost universally today. Read full article.
From Ibn Al-Haytam’s optical lenses and Ibn Hayyan’s chemistry flasks to a mosque lamp of Amir Qawsun, Muslim Civilisation played a major role in inspiring the growth of glass industry from the 8th century onwards. Read full article.
Paper seems such an ordinary product today, but it has been fundamental to modern civilisation. 1,100 years ago people were manufacturing paper in Baghdad in Muslim Civilisation.
It is believed that the secrets of Chinese paper making were passed on to the people of Baghdad around the year 751. Read full article.
Until recently, the mainstream history of scientific ideas has failed to acknowledge numerous Islamic scientists and their great efforts and achievements throughout the centuries. This short article seeks to contribute in redressing this injustice by highlighting Muslim contributions and attitudes towards the progress of chemistry. Read full article.
Experiment is what differentiates science of Muslim Civilisation from Greek speculation (called science). Experiment began with the Muslims, centuries before the likes of Grosseteste. Read full article.