Islamic Astrolabe

Timeline

1. c. 808–833Baghdad · IraqMuhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Fazari improved the Greek planispheric astrolabe at the Baghdad observatory, introducing Arabic star names and Islamic calendar scales, making the instrument suitable for determining local latitude and prayer times.
2. c. 820–850Baghdad · IraqAl-Khwarizmi participated in astronomical observation at the House of Wisdom, combining the astrolabe with precise star tables and trigonometric calculations, improving the accuracy of latitude determination and calendar computation and laying the foundation for the Islamic astronomical computational tradition.
3. c. 850–900Isfahan · IranPersian and Syrian artisans produced precision brass astrolabes, with increasingly mature scale and pivot craftsmanship; the astrolabe became the standard instrument for scholars, navigators, and mosques in determining the qibla.