Al Jazari and Water Clock

662 Words3 Pages
The movement of stars and sun has always fascinated human beings and has been a source of measuring time for earliest civilizations to inhabit this Earth. About 30,000 years ago people have used this organized movement of stars and suns to record the progress and development of civilizations. Among those earliest inventions to measure and track time, water-clocks have played a significant part in Astrology and Astronomy. Clepsydra, an Egyptian vase (1500 BCE) was the earliest water-clock from which water flowed out through a small spout near its base. Divisions imprinted on its side indicated the time as the level dropped. Archimedes, who is regarded as one of the most prestigious scientists in classical antiquity, was an Ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. He first devised the mechanical working of a water clock. His work was further transcript in Arabic by the Banu Musa brothers in 9th century Baghdad. Following their footsteps, was another Muslim Scientist Al Jazari who is listed among the most significant scientists in the history of mankind and is still awed in the scientific world for his mechanical marvels. He lived in 13th century in the city of Tor, an area between The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Being the most brilliant engineering mind of his time, he also served as the Chief Engineer as the King’s palace, where his father had formerly served. Inspired by the work of his predecessor the Banu Musa Brothers 300 years later their knowledge was inherited by Al Jazair, who further started digging into the vast knowledge of working of those water clocks and became the inventive engineer of his time. In 1206, encouraged and motivated by the words of the king Nasir Al-din to “not to lose what he has wearied himself with” he listed down his work, inventions and devices in his famous “Book of Ingenious Mechanical
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