sundials from the islamic world
DESCRIPTION
English translation of the presentation held on the VIII. Meeting on Sundials, 22-09-2012, Eger, Hungary.TRANSCRIPT
Sundials from the Islamic world(Presentation on the VIII. Meeting on Sundials. 22-09-2012.
Eger, Hungary)
Tamás Herczeg([email protected])
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
The Islamic population of the Earth
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim
232 countriesabout 1,5 billion muslims.(data from 2009)
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
One of the most known Islamic city: Istanbul
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Map of Istanbul
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Historical centre of Istanbul with many mosques in it
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sultanahmet mosque (Blue mosque)
Photo: Tamás Herczeg Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial on the SW wall of Sultanahmet mosque
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Hagia Sophia
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial on the SW wall of Hagia Sophia
Source: http://www.waymarking.com
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Horizontal Sundial in the Topkapi palace
Photo: Mary GarnerPhoto: Mary Garner
Photo: Mary Garner
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
SW aligned, 2 gnomon, 3 timescale
Photo: Mary Garner
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Süleymaniye mosque
Photo: Tamás Herczeg Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
2-gnomons Sundial on the SW wall of Süleymaniye mosque
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Yeni mosque (New mosque)
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Yeni mosque: 3 pcs Sundial on SW wall/1
Photo: Herczeg TamásPhoto: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Yeni mosque: 3 pcs Sundial on SW wall/2
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Yeni mosque: 3 pcs Sundial on SW wall/3
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Fatih mosque
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatih_Mosque,_Istanbul
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
2-gnomons Sundial on the SW wall of Fatih mosque
Source: http://www.mustafacambaz.com/details.php?image_id=32870&sessionid=d0e037f686eee561b376c7bf28bb5012
The first sundial in Istanbul!
Made in 1473
Made by Ali Kuscu(Invited by Fatih Szultán MehmetFrom Samarkand)
The sundial was restored byProf. Dr. Atilla Bir
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Beyazit mosque
Photo: Herczeg Tamás
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
2-gnomons Sundial on the SW wall of Beyazit mosque
Evliya Celebi, “As everybody knows, the timekeeper is paid a great deal because all the seamen and boatmen in the state of İslam are in need of the timekeeper of Sultan Beyazid Khan. As the qiblah and the time settings of all the captains are set from the mihrap of this mosque,they are in need of the timekeeper and the mosques in Europe to correct their scales and their designationof the qiblah, following astrology, according to the clock room in Beyazid Mosque.”Source: http://www.geminitourism.com/PostV1/View.aspx?PostId=46&ContentId=767
Photo: Atilla Bir
In Hungarian: „Amint azt tudjuk, az időmérő személyt jórészt azért fizetik, mert aziszlám állam tengerészeinek és hajósainak szükségük van Beyazit szultán időmérőjének [adataira]. Mivel minden kapitány a qiblah-t és az időt ezen mosque mihrab-ja [és órája] alapján állítja be, Európában további időmérő személyekrevan szükség, akik a qiblah-t és az időskálát, a csillagászatot követve, a Beyazit mosque [adatai] alapján határozzák meg.”
qiblah = Mekka irányamihrab = a mosqueek Mekka irányába
eső szentélye
EVLIYA CELEBI:
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Mihrimah Sultan mosque
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial of Mihrimah Sultan mosque
Source: http://www.muslimheritage.com
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
The Umayyad mosque (Damascus)
The mosque and the Northern minaret
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Mosque
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
The sundial of Umayyad mosque in Damascus
• Sundial on the Northern minaret till about 1900• Planned by: Ibn al-Shatir (kb. 1305-1375)
in 1371• Astronomist, mathematician, “timekeeper”
(muwaqqits)• His idea about the Solar system is similar to
Copernicus' one • First polar gnomons on sundials• Timescales on Sunrise, Sunset, Noon and
Afternoon• Model for the sundials of Islamic world (Arabic
type sundials)
The copy of the original one in the Museum of DamascusSource: http://www.google.hu/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walkingshadow.info%2FPublications%2FOttoman%2520Sundials%2520NASS%2520(PPTminimizer).ppt&ei=ohEpUJywG4rNswbo2oGIDA&usg=AFQjCNGliyt5aSHU_3zlj3AX9OyR7-awXg&sig2=_8zy5LeTXLfJnWmr1AI5Bw
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
The Greatmosque in Aleppo
Source: http://www.syriaspotlight.com/index.php/tourist-sites-/aleppo/160-the-great-mosque.htmlSource: http://www.syriaspotlight.com/index.php/tourist-sites-/aleppo/160-the-great-mosque.html
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial on the S wall of the Greatmosque in Aleppo
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stijnnieuwendijk/4676679618/
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Jerusalem
Photo: Herczeg TamásPhoto: Annamária Heidt
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
The W side of the al-Aqsa mosque
Photo: Annamária Heidt
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial on the wall of al-Aqsa mosqueMade in 1907
Made by Rushdi al-Imam
Source: http://www.islamicjerusalem.org/aqsa
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial on the S wall of Rockmosque
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
The al-Hakim mosque in Kairo
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/hakimmosque.htm
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial in the Islam museum in Kairo
Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/gayeranderson.htm
Made before 1273
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Sundial of al-Hakim mosque in the Islam museum of Kairo
Source: http://www.ta-dip.de/fileadmin/user_upload/bilder2/nass173_gf_Ottoman.pdf
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
The Greatmosque in Kairouan
Photo: Tamás Herczeg Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
4-gnomons horizontal Sundial in Greatmosque of Kairouan
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Roma, Spagna, Trinita dei Monti-church
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Arabic type sundial in Rome: Spagna, Trinita dei Monti church
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Arabic type sundials in Aiello del Friuliban (Italy)
Based on Al Hakim Based on Hagia Sophia Based on Yeni mosquemosque sundial in Kairo mosque sundial in Istanbul sundial in Istanbul
Source: http://www.ta-dip.de/fileadmin/user_upload/bilder2/nass173_gf_Ottoman.pdf
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Arabic type sundial in Altrincham (England)
Source: flickr.com/photos/gingerman/5364263343
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
… and in Hungary?TURKISH RELICS
Babócsa: Turkish well
Buda: Gül baba türbe, Tojgun pasa mosque, Mihrab („Belvárosi” church)Bath („Császár”, „Király”, „Rudas” and „Rác”)
Eger: Minaret
Bath (Arnaut pasa, Valide sultan)
Esztergom: Ozicseli Hadzsi Ibrahim mosque, Suleyman sultan's victory board
Érd: Minaret
Pécs: Jakováli Hasszán pasa mosque, Gázi Kászim pasa mosque, Idrisz baba türbe,Memi pasa bath, Turkish well
Siklós: Malkocs bej mosque
Szigetvár: Suleyman sultan mosque, Ali pasa mosque, House from Turkish Ages
Törökkoppány: Turkish well
Zsámbék: Turkish wellSource: http://terebess.hu/keletkultinfo/muemlek.html
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
What kind of time do these sundials show?
Trivial answer: Local time
BUT there are basic problems:
- Local times differ, except on the same longitud. (Modern solution: zone times)- The instabil movement of the Earth, the seasons cause differences in the length of days and daylights. (Modern solution: average day, equilong hour/day)- What is the starting point of the daytime?
Sunset („ … and was evening and morning, first day.”)-> Italian
Sunrise -> BabylonNoon (Shortest shadow) -> EgyptMidnight (Hipparchos, Copernicus) -> Present timetables
- Division of the day: 2x12 or 1x24 parts.
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Then, what do these sundials show? (1)
Source: Atilla Bir, personal
Time: Sunrise + 8,75/12 unit, and the end of AsrFatih mosque sundial
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Islamic prayer times1., SOBEH (Fajr): Before sunrise
2., DOHER (Zawaal or Zuhr): Zenit of Sun, shortest shadow
3., ASR: Begins:gnomon + shortest shadowEnds:gnomon + 2x shortest shadow
4., MAGREB (Maghrib): Sunset
5., ISHA (Isha'a): Evening, after sunset
Müezzin-accessories nowdaysPhoto: Tamás Herczeg
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Then, what do these sundials show? (2)Sundial of Hagia Sophia: Indicates DOHER (Zawaal) and ASR
Source: http://www.ta-dip.de/fileadmin/user_upload/bilder2/nass173_gf_Ottoman.pdf
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Then, what do these sundials show? (3)Reconstruction and adaptation of the sundial of Al Hakim mosque in Kairo
Source: http://www.ta-dip.de/fileadmin/user_upload/bilder2/nass173_gf_Ottoman.pdf
1., Asr1 and qiblah
2., Time and Zawaal
3., Asr2, Fajr-6 and Fajr-14
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Then, what do these sundials show? (4)Computer drawing of horizontal sundial in Topkapi palace
Source: A. Bir and M. Kacar: The History of Sundials. In Visible Faces of the Time. Timepices. YKY Istanbul, 2009. p. 46.
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Then, what do these sundials show? (5)Sundial in Greatmosque of Kairouan: 4 or 5(!) gnomons
Photo: Tamás Herczeg
22-09-2012. VIII. Meeting on Sundials. Eger HUN
Summary
The main function of the sundials in Islam world to show prayer times.
In modern age:
- Tables
- Internet programes (about 178 million „prayer time” in 0,5 sec on Google)(e.g. http://www.islamicfinder.org/
http://www.islamicity.com/prayertimes/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1http://praytime.info/)
- Apps on handies
But: The modern applications might not be created without old knowledge!
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Acknowledgements
FERJANI, NaceurProf. Dr. BIR, Atilla
Dr. ERDÉLYI Anna
GARNER, Murray & Mary
Dr. KLUDÁK István