But a period of immense discovery is beginning, in which every scholar hopes their theories could change our understanding of the world. One of the greatest of these and one of the most revered in Islam is Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni. Born in 973 CE in Khwarazm in northwest Uzbekistan, Al-Biruni was a man of such prodigious knowledge and scholarship that the modern city is now an ode to his name, Beruniy. Al-Biruni is considered the "father of Indian studies" GettyThe early ages of space discoveryAlongside cultural studies, Al-Biruni had a passion for astronomy, devoting 95 of his 146 books to the cosmos. The first award ceremony is scheduled in November 2025, in Samarkand during the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference.

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Persons: Abu Rayhan Al, Biruni, Mahmud Ghaznav, Al, Getty, Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton, Richard Dunthorne Organizations: Nations, UNESCO Executive, UNESCO, Intelligence, UNESCO General Conference Locations: Islam, Khwarazm, Uzbekistan, Al, Tehran, Lahore, India, Samarkand