Islamic planispheric astrolabe in brass, diameter 25 cm, with rete, seven plates, alidade, alidade, pin and horse, made by Jamal al-Din ibn Muquin, at Lahore, Pakistan, in 1077 AH (= 1666-7 CE). Inside of mater shows map locating Mecca with qibla of 17 locations. Zoomorphic characters on rete.
Made around 1666, this brass Islamic astrolabe was crafted by the prestigious Muslim astronomer Jamal al-Din ibn Muquin at Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, then part of the Mughal Empire. This front view shows the very ornate moveable fretwork plate called the rete that denotes star positions by short curved pointers. The astrolabe is, in essence, a model of the universe that an astronomer could hold in their hands.
Popular in Medieval and Renaissance Afro-Eurasia, the astrolabe’s many uses included timekeeping, astrology, surveying, and locating qibla. Qibla is the direction of the sacred shrine of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which Muslims face five times daily for prayer.
The astrolabe is a two-dimensional depiction of the heavens whose layout is achieved using the mathematical technique of stereographic projection. From its origins in the Ancient World, Islamic astronomers developed the astrolabe from where it spread to Europe.
Islamic planispheric astrolabe in brass, diameter 25 cm, with rete, two plates, alidade, alidade, pin and horse, made by Jamal al-Din ibn Muquin, at Lahore, Pakistan, in 1077 AH (= 1666-7 CE). Inside of mater shows map locating Mecca with qibla of 17 locations. Zoomorphic characters on rete.
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Made around 1666, this brass Islamic astrolabe was made by Jamal al-Din at Lahore, Pakistan. This front view shows the very ornate moveable fretwork plate called the rete that denotes star positions by short curved pointers. The astrolabe is in essence a model of the universe that an astronomer could hold in their hands. Popular in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, its many uses included timekeeping, astrology and surveying. The astrolabe is a two-dimensional depiction of the heavens whose layout is achieved using the mathematical technique of stereographic projection. From its origins in the Ancient World, Islamic astronomers developed the astrolabe from where it spread to Europe.
Five plates from Islamic planispheric astrolabe, made by Jamal al-Din ibn Muquin, at Lahore, Pakistan, in 1077 AH (= 1666-7 CE).
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Made around 1666, this brass Islamic astrolabe was made by Jamal al-Din at Lahore, Pakistan. This front view shows the very ornate moveable fretwork plate called the rete that denotes star positions by short curved pointers. The astrolabe is in essence a model of the universe that an astronomer could hold in their hands. Popular in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, its many uses included timekeeping, astrology and surveying. The astrolabe is a two-dimensional depiction of the heavens whose layout is achieved using the mathematical technique of stereographic projection. From its origins in the Ancient World, Islamic astronomers developed the astrolabe from where it spread to Europe.