Avicenna << `av` ih SEHN uh >> (980-1037), also known as Ibn-Sina << IHB uhn SEE nah >> , was a Muslim physician, philosopher, astronomer, and poet. He wrote Canon of Medicine, which was used as a medical text for over 600 years. It is still occasionally used in Asia. Avicenna’s major philosophical work, The Cure, presented his interpretation of the philosophy of Aristotle. Of any of his books, it had the greatest effect on Western thought. Avicenna was born near Bokhara (now Buxoro in Uzbekistan) in what was then a part of Persia ruled by the Samanid dynasty. He began to practice medicine at 16. When only 20, he was known as the most learned person of his time. See also Geology (The Romans) .
