What is an Astrolabe?

An astrolabe is a historical instrument used to predict the position of the sun, moon, planet, and stars. It
was perfected during the Islamic Golden Age and the European Middle Ages and Renaissance. Many
prominent historical figures (including writer Geoffery Chaucer and possibly ancient astronomer
Claudius Ptolemy) have written about or made use of astrolabes. Astrolabes were made of several
different disks and star charts.

Astrolabes and Islam

In the Islamic Golden Age, astrolabes were widely used to determine the qibla, the prayer
direction towards Mecca, as well as to pinpoint prayer timings with the movement of the sun. Muslim
astronomers also added angular scales in the astrolabes themselves, making it possible to navigate
distances. Furthermore, Muslim astronomers and inventors created the spherical astrolabe, a globeshaped model of objects in the sky, which consists of rings and lines that symbolized longitude,
latitude, and other significant astronomic and geographic features. The spherical astrolabe was
eventually introduced to Europe, where it was used in early astronomical studies. (These inventions
also helped the Muslims to perfect celestial globes, an actual globe of the sky, that helped map out stars
and constellations.)
The creation and perfection of the astrolabe, as well as the spherical astrolabe and the celestial globe,
significantly advanced the early world. It promoted scientific and astronomic exploration, and
cultivated new ways of navigation and timekeeping. In the Islamic world, it helped perfect the finding
of the qibla.

Mariam Al-Astrolabiya Al-Ijliya

Mariam Al-Astrolabiya Al-Ijliya is significantly linked with the design of astrolabes. Though
Muhammad Al-Fazari is the first Muslim to have helped build an astrolabe in the Islamic world in the
eighth century, Al-Ijliya is credited with designing and advancing this instrument.
Though not much is written about Al-Ijliya, we know that she worked in the mid-tenth century (around
944 967 AD) in what is now northern Syria. Her work was both creative and innovative. Her father
was an apprentice to a well-known astrolabe maker, and she studied under him as his student. She
created new designs, which were soon recognized by Sayf Al Dawla, the citys ruler. In addition, she
also helped further navigation and timekeeping techniques.
Al-Ijliya exemplifies that the pursuit of knowledge is encouraged in Islam, and does not
discourage women from it. Al-Ijliya is considered a significant scientist in this period of time. Many
these days argue that Islam oppresses women or restricts their learning, or, more broadly, that Islam
clashes with science. But Al-Ijliya and the Muslims influence on astrolabes illustrate that knowledge
(scientific and general) are supported by Islam. Because she pursued study and helped innovate new
technology for her time, Mariam Al-Astrolabiya Al-Ijliya remains a role model until today.