Mvslim
We all know that most societies in medieval history weren’t exactly concerned with their unusual smelly streets and houses. But not in early Muslim civilization. Enjoy these 10 fresh facts about how Muslim societies kept it clean.
1. Medieval times are often imagined as smelly, dark and unclean, but in 10th-century Muslim civilization people were very concerned about hygiene
2. The cosmetic products used in Muslim civilization a thousand years ago could almost compete with those we have today
3. Cleanliness is vital in Islam, and wudhu’– washing parts of the body – is always done before prayers
4. A 13th-century robotic wudhu’ machine that looked like a peacock shot eight spurts of water from its head – just enough to wash with
5. Al-Kindi, a scholar from Iraq, wrote a book on perfumes, recipes for fragrant oils, creams, and scented waters
6. Al-Kindi’s book also described 107 methods and recipes for perfume making and perfume-making equipment
7. The knowledge about perfumes made its way from the Muslim world to southern France, which had the perfect climate and soil for perfume making
8. More than 1,000 years ago, the Muslim musician and fashion icon Ziryab introduced toothpaste to Andalus
9. Ziryab also introduced the use of salt to clean clothes
10. The hammam, or bathhouse, became an institution in every Muslim town
