Mythification of "the Golden Age"

     Nostalgia it would seem is a universal human sentiment - we fear the new and long for the old. Over-exaggerating ages of relative prosperity and strength also seems like a natural recourse when the contemporary situation is grim. Being of Muslim upbringing, I was raised with one perceived golden age that stands out as particularly over-glorified. It's what we call "the Islamic Golden Age." Once I became a student of history however, I saw that this era is not what it was made out to be, its greatness in certain aspects notwithstanding, and certainly should not be taken as a model for the modern world. 

This is obviously not a history paper I'm writing, but rather an invitation to critically re-evaluate certain perceptions.