Born in Iraq as Abu Ali Hasan Ibn al–Haitham, the great Arab physicist is more often known by the Latinized version of his first name, Alhazen. Although he was to eventually become a profound intellectual specializing in mathematics and optics, Alhazen's early education was geared towards religion and prepared him for a career as a minister. However, apparently unhappy in his religious pursuits, Alhazen later decided to devote himself to the study of science and became particularly intrigued by Aristotle.