Bayt al-Hikma (House of Wisdom) was established in Baghdad in 832 AD by the Caliph al-Ma’mun. It was the repository of Greek, Syriac, and Byzantine books of philosophy and medicine. It was also a center for translation, writing, copying manuscripts and scientific research. Translators were compensated by the weight of their manuscripts in gold, and Hunayn Ibn Ishaq reportedly used large letters and triple or quadruple spacing on heavy weight paper to increase the weight of the manuscript.

References: Hitti, P.K., “Capital Cities of Arab Islam”, University of Minnesota, 1973; Al-Mahi,T, “History of Arab Medicine”,1959 Al-Kurdi,A,et al.Neuroscience 9:1,2004; Haddad,S.I., History of Arab Medicine,1975.