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What if you opened a bank in the Abbasid Caliphate? Day 1. You arrive in Baghdad. You bring all the things you need to start a bank. You set up a table, bring out your vault, and start collecting and lending money. Day 2. People are curious. They circle your table, They think you are a scammer. …

What if you opened a bank in the Abbasid Caliphate? Day 1. You arrive in Baghdad. You bring all the things you need to start a bank. You set up a table, bring out your vault, and start collecting and lending money. Day 2. People are curious. They circle your table, They think you are a scammer. You explain the banking system — deposits, loans, interest. They are furious. Day 3. Some people actually return. A few farmers hand over their gold and silver for safekeeping. Others borrow coin to f