Muslim geographic thought and the influence of Greek philosophy

The Arabs acquired Greek geographical and astronomical knowledge in the eighth century, when the works of Ptolemy and other Greek philosophers were translated into Arabic. Muslim scholars learned Greek scientific thought and accepted these views as working theories necessary for further scientific inquiry. Muslim scholars were impressed by the Greek point of view, but they added to scientific knowledge in each succeeding generation. In the spirit of objective research, the scientific work of the Muslim scholars was progressive. They were ready to receive the truth from any source, even if that source be foreign. As Western thought became dominant in the Islamic areas in the thirteenth century, Muslim scholars' interest in geography and other natural sciences declined.