Transcript Science and Islam

Science and Islam
Webquest Visual Aides
Astrolabes
• The curved lines represent the beginning and
end times for afternoon prayer
Geared Astrolabes
• The mechanical clock owes it development, in
part, to the geared astrolabe
• The gearings around the revolutions of the sun
were instrumental in developing the lunar
calendar used by Muslims
Qibla Indicator
• The purpose of the qibla indicator was to help Muslims
find the direction of Mecca
• These were essential for people who often travelled such
as merchants
Qibla Indicator & Horizontal Pin-Gnomon Dial
• Unlike the previous device, this instrument gave
Muslim the exact location of Mecca based on the
location of 32 towns
Seeking Mecca
• Some qibla indicators included towns in North
Africa and their relation to Mecca’s location
From Baghdad to Damascus
• Some early astrolabes included star pointers which were
designed in the style of a dagger
William Laud
•
•
Some Europeans owned Astrolabes. This Astrolabe was owned by William
Luad, Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of Oxford University in the
early 17th century
Thus, Muslim advances in math and science were passed onto the West
Sources
• http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/scienceislam/inde
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