The ruby stone in the Arab scientific heritage from the Umayyad Era to the end of the Mamlūk ERA (41- 923 AH/ 662-1517: A cultural historical study

Abstract

The objective of this study is to shed light on the achievements of the Arab and Muslim scholars who wrote in the field of rubies, explaining its characteristics, benefits, applications, and places of occurrence during a specific time period in Islamic history that starts from the beginning of the Umayyad era until the end of the Mamlūk era (41-923 AH / 662-1517 AD). The study focused on specific elements that revolve around the origins and names of the ruby stone, its various types and forms, and various uses, and traced the ruby mines and their different locations in the Islamic world during the specified research period. Furthermore, the study discussed rubies extraction methods, physical properties, and market value during these Islamic historical periods, along with rubies defects, and their methods of treatment. The study adopted the descriptive, critical, analytical historical research method, where scientific material was collected from various historical sources, which are then arranged, classified, and presented in the form of a descriptive, analytical, and critical study, supplemented by comparisons with the scientific material contained in contemporary sources. The study concluded with the most important findings extracted therefrom.