ISLAMIC TRADE

CAMELS/ CARAVANS

• Camels are very strong and enduring creatures, able to cross desert expanses
• Thus trade is able to occur over the vast deserts of the Middle East, unable to be done by other pack animals
• Major cities built caravanserais, inns for the sole purpose of the maintenance of camels and caravans

INDIAN OCEAN TRADE

• The Islamists utilized the compass, a Chinese invention
• They also used astrolabes, a Hellenistic invention
• Port cities along the Indian Ocean amassed huge fortunes
• The merchant Ramisht was one of the most successful merchants

BANKING

• Banking stimulated commercial economic growth
• Islamic banks were different than traditional banks because they were on a larger scale and had a wider variety of services
• They served as investment brokers and exchanged currencies

AFFECT

• All of these things simulated massive amounts of trade in the Islamic territories
• A territory not formerly known for wealth became a dominant trade center
• Paired with the conquering tendencies of the Islamic peoples, trade was boosted greatly

AL-ANDALUS

• Conquered territories spanned across upper Africa and Spain
• Imported crops allowed for enhanced nutrition and allowed for the creation of many cities
• Ceramics, tiles, and gold made for a reputation of excellence in al-andalus
• The Spanish were initially conquered by the ummayan dynasty