Scientific Movement in City of Sora in Abbasid Era (132-656 AH / 749-1258 AD)

Abstract

The city of Sora is one of the ancient and famous cities in Mesopotamia. It was a city with fertile land and abundant water; the agricultural condition was reflected positively on the living circumstances of its inhabitants for a long time.  The city was inhabited by Jews especially after the Babylonian captivity. After the Islamic conquest of Iraq, it was inhabited by Arab Muslims. The city of Sora was also one of the scientific cities of the Jews as it contained the headquarters of Ras al-Jalut, and the supreme authority for the Jews, In addition, it contains books, explanations, and translation of the most significant book for the Jews, that is, the Babylonian Talmud. A large number of Jewish scholars graduated from it, and their scientific supremacy remained over all the Jews of the world until the fifth century AH. On other hand, the city of Sora was considered as one of the Islamic scientific centers after the Islamic conquest of Iraq. Many of Muslim narrators and scholars who contributed to the establishment of the Great Religious School emerged from it, so the Hilla School has inherited its knowledge from the heritage of the ancient city of Sora.