"Golden Age" is undefined. I would consider the golden age of the Muslim Civ to be the Abbasids c. AD 800. If that's true the answer is Baghdad.
The center of the Muslim Civ originally was Mecca (630-661) and then Damascus (661-750).
It's in Timbuktu.
What factors made Timbuktu a spiritual and intellectual center of Islam?
Islam initially entered Mali through the word-of-mouth of tradesmen. Upon the reception of this new religion, the Malinese became intrigued and a more established place for them to learn the religion. This resulted in Islamic Academics being built in Timbuktu and Djenne. The presence of Islamic scholars helped to foster research into other academic disciplines, making Mali a center of learning.
Baghdad.
Timbuktu and Djenne were the centers for trade and Islamic learning in ancient Mali. Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a center point for spreading Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. In its Golden Age, the town's numerous Islamic scholars and extensive book trade established Timbuktu as a scholarly center in Africa.
Timbuktu is the center of Islamic art and learning
The greatest king of Mali, Mansa Musa returned to Mali after traveling. He returned with an Arab architect who built great Muslim houses of worship , or mosques, in the capital of Timbuktu. Under Mansa Musa, Timbuktu became an important center of Islamic art and learning.
The city of Timbuktu in the Songhai Empire became an important trading city and a center of intellectual influence. It was known for its thriving trade in gold, salt, and other goods, as well as its prestigious Islamic learning centers and libraries.
The greatest king of Mali, Mansa Musa returned to Mali after traveling. He returned with an Arab architect who built great Muslim houses of worship , or mosques, in the capital of Timbuktu. Under Mansa Musa, Timbuktu became an important center of Islamic art and learning.
The greatest king of Mali, Mansa Musa returned to Mali after traveling. He returned with an Arab architect who built great Muslim houses of worship , or mosques, in the capital of Timbuktu. Under Mansa Musa, Timbuktu became an important center of Islamic art and learning.
It's in Timbuktu.
after the Arab conquest
The city of Kufa became a significant Muslim stronghold under the rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, particularly during the caliphate of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Established as a garrison town in 638 CE, Kufa served as a political and military center for the early Islamic state and played a crucial role in the events of the First Fitna, the first Islamic civil war. The city attracted many scholars and became an important center for Islamic learning and jurisprudence.
There are several cities that could qualify, but the most famous of these, especially for its massive library called Beit al-Hikma (بيت الحكمة), was BAGHDAD in the modern country of Iraq.
What factors made Timbuktu a spiritual and intellectual center of Islam?
The city of Timbuktu in Mali became the center of Muslim culture in Songhai due to its famous mosques, libraries, and reputation as a center of learning and trade. It was a hub for Islamic scholarship and trade routes in West Africa.
Baghdad