2. The Sack of Baghdad (1258)
In 1258, the Mongol invasion of Baghdad resulted in a catastrophe for world knowledge. The city’s famed House of Wisdom—a hub for mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy—was destroyed, and thousands of manuscripts were tossed into the Tigris River.
Scholars were killed or scattered, and centuries of research vanished overnight, dealing a devastating blow to Islamic and global learning. This tragic event marked the end of Baghdad’s golden age and set back scientific progress across the region. Learn more about the Fall of Baghdad
