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Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand

Type Object Region Central Asia Time 1420–1449

A large astronomical observatory built in Samarkand by the Timurid prince Ulugh Beg in the early 15th century, begun around 1420 and completed 1424–1…

Timeline

  1. 1420–1424High ground outside Samarkand · SamarkandWhile serving as governor of Transoxiana, Ulugh Beg planned the observatory, choosing a high ground outside the city and recruiting scholars such as Qazwini and Samarkandi to participate in its design, laying the foundation for constructing the giant wall quadrant.
  2. 1424–1429Ulugh Beg Observatory · SamarkandThe giant wall quadrant (Fakhri sextant) was completed, with a radius of about 40 meters, enabling high-precision measurements of declination; Ulugh Beg's team carried out numerous observations of stellar positions here, accumulating data for compiling the star catalog.
  3. 1437–1449Samarkand · TransoxianaThe Zij-i Sultani star catalog, compiled from the observatory's observational data, recorded the coordinates of about 1,018 stars, far surpassing the Ptolemaic catalog in accuracy; it spread through Central Asia and the Ottoman world and influenced early modern European astronomy.
  4. 1449–1908Ulugh Beg Observatory ruins · SamarkandAfter Ulugh Beg's death the observatory gradually fell into ruin, and the quadrant's trench was buried under earth and rubble; excavations in 1908 revealed the remains, which are now listed as an important cultural heritage site and museum in Uzbekistan.

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