Al-Jazari: 800 Years After

Some 800 years in the past, in 1206, a brilliant Muslim scholar died : Badi' al-Zaman Abu al-‘Izz ibn Ismail ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari. He was one of the most important inventors and mechanical engineers in the history of technology. His magnum opus book of mechanics, the famous ‘Al-Jami’ bayn al’Ilm al-Nafi’ wa sina’at al-hiyal’, or ‘The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices’was the most significant treatise of the Islamic tradition of mechanical engineering and a ground breaking work in the history of mechanics.

Some 800 years in the past, in 1206, a brilliant Muslim scholar died: Badi` al-Zaman Abu al-‘Izz ibn Isma`il ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari. He was one of the most important inventors and mechanical engineers in the history of technology. His magnum opus book of mechanics, the famous Al-Jami` bayn al-`ilm wa ‘l-`amal al-nafi` fi sina`at al-hiyal (A Compendium on the Theory and Useful Practice of the Mechanical Arts) was the most significant treatise of the Islamic tradition of mechanical engineering and a ground breaking work in the history of mechanics.

We devote this folder, that will be enriched progressively during this year, to celebrate al-Jazari and his ground breaking work.

800 Years Later: In Memory of Al-Jazari, A Genius Mechanical Engineer

The List of Al-Jazari Articles Published on MH.com

Al-Jazari’s Elephant Clock. © Copyright MuslimHeritage.com

Al-Jazari’s Scribe Clock. © Copyright MuslimHeritage.com

Cem Nizamoglu