The Golden Age of Persia by Richard N. Frye-Hardcover
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The four hundred years which followed the explosive spread of Islam in the 7th century brought a unique fusion of cultures to Iran -- unique, because Iran embraced Islam while maintaining continuity with its own Persian heritage. The result was the great age of Iranian civilization, a broad culture created from the meeting of traditions: art and architecture flourished; Persian poetry flowered, in a language expanded by the rich Arabic vocabulary; great advances were made in science and medicine. Richard Frye, the world authority in this field, describes these centuries as 'a high point in human achievement; not only a golden age for the Islamic world but for the whole world at that time'.
About the Author
Richard N. Frye was born in 1920 in Birmingham, Alabama. After gaining BAs in History and Philosophy at the University of Illinois, he studied Arabic, Turkish, and Persian at Princeton University. During World War II he worked in the OSS, based in Istanbul, and in 1946 gained his Ph.D. in History and Philology from Harvard University.
He has taught at Habibiya College, Kabul and at Harvard University as Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern Studies. From 1958-79 he was Aga Khan Professor of Iranian Studies. He has been Visiting Professor at the universities of Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Tajikistan. From 1959-74 he was Director of the Asia Institute in Shiraz, Iran, and served on the Board of Trustees of Pahlavi University. He is the Founder of the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research, Founder of the Middle East Center at Harvard University, and editor of the Bulletin of the Asia Institute.
