Birth: Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

All stops in this story

1. Birth: Ibn Sina (Avicenna) — c. 980 CE · c. 370 AH

   Persian polymath (c. 980–1037) whose Canon of Medicine and Book of Healing shaped medicine and philosophy across the Islamic world and Europe for centuries.

2. Al-Biruni at Qābūs's court, Gurgān — c. 1000 CE · c. 390 AH†

   At Gurgān near the Caspian al-Bīrūnī joined Qābūs ibn Voshmgīr's court, met Ibn Sīnā there and exchanged a sharp philosophical correspondence with him, and dedicated his Chronology of Ancient Nations to Qābūs .

3. Ibn Sina travels west to Gorgan — 1012 CE · c. 402 AH

   In 1012 Ibn Sina left Khwarazm and travelled west through the cities of Khurasan towards Gorgan (Jurjan).

4. Ibn Sina enters Buyid service at Rayy — c. 1014 CE · c. 405 AH

   In about 1014 Ibn Sina went to Rayy and entered the service of the Buyid amir Majd al-Dawla and his mother Sayyida Shirin as court physician.

5. Ibn Sina becomes vizier to Shams al-Dawla at Hamadan — 1015 CE · c. 405 AH

   In 1015, at Hamadan, Ibn Sina passed into the service of the Buyid amir Shams al-Dawla, who made him his vizier; he held the post until Shams al-Dawla died in 1021.

6. Ibn Sina withdraws to Khuzistan — January 1030 CE · c. 421 AH

   In January 1030, during the brief Ghaznavid occupation of Isfahan, Ibn Sina and Ala al-Dawla moved to Khuzistan, staying until the death of Mahmud of Ghazna two months later.

7. Death: Ibn Sina (Avicenna) — June 1037 CE · Ramadan 428 AH

   Persian polymath (c. 980–1037) whose Canon of Medicine and Book of Healing shaped medicine and philosophy across the Islamic world and Europe for centuries.