Science·Abbasid
Al-Jazari Completes His Book of Mechanical Devices
- Date
- 1206 CE602 AH820 years ago
- Place
- Diyarbakir, Artuqid Anatolia
- People
- Ismail al-Jazari
Ismail al-Jazari completed his treatise on mechanical devices in 1206 at Diyarbakir. He served as chief engineer at the court of the Artuqid rulers there. The book describes about fifty machines, including clocks, water-raising devices and automata for drinking parties. Each machine is explained with diagrams and construction steps.
Why it matters
His book is an early example of a practical manual for building machines, with clear step-by-step instructions.