Sundials from the Islamic world

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)


One of the most known Islamic city: Istanbul

Photo: Tamás Herczeg


Map of Istanbul


Historical centre of Istanbul with many mosques in it


Sultanahmet mosque (Blue mosque)

Photo: Tamás Herczeg Photo: Tamás Herczeg


Sundial on the SW wall of Sultanahmet mosque



Hagia Sophia



Sundial on the SW wall of Hagia Sophia

Source: http://www.waymarking.com

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8318_Hagia_Sophia_Sundial_Istanbul_Turkey

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8318_Hagia_Sophia_Sundial_Istanbul_Turkey


Horizontal Sundial in the Topkapi palace

Photo: Mary GarnerPhoto: Mary Garner

Photo: Mary Garner


SW aligned, 2 gnomon, 3 timescale

Photo: Mary Garner


Süleymaniye mosque



2-gnomons Sundial on the SW wall of Süleymaniye mosque



Yeni mosque (New mosque)



Yeni mosque: 3 pcs Sundial on SW wall/1

Photo: Herczeg TamásPhoto: Tamás Herczeg


Fatih mosque

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatih_Mosque,_Istanbul


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

http://www.mustafacambaz.com/details.php


Beyazit mosque

Photo: Herczeg Tamás


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:

http://www.geminitourism.com/PostV1/View.aspx?PostId=46&ContentId=767


Mihrimah Sultan mosque



Sundial of Mihrimah Sultan mosque

Source: http://www.muslimheritage.com


The Umayyad mosque (Damascus)

The mosque and the Northern minaret

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Mosque


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


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


Sundial on the S wall of the Greatmosque in Aleppo

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stijnnieuwendijk/4676679618/


Jerusalem

Photo: Herczeg TamásPhoto: Annamária Heidt


The W side of the al-Aqsa mosque

Photo: Annamária Heidt


Sundial on the wall of al-Aqsa mosqueMade in 1907

Made by Rushdi al-Imam

Source: http://www.islamicjerusalem.org/aqsa


Sundial on the S wall of Rockmosque




The al-Hakim mosque in Kairo

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/hakimmosque.htm


Sundial in the Islam museum in Kairo

Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/gayeranderson.htm

Made before 1273


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


The Greatmosque in Kairouan



4-gnomons horizontal Sundial in Greatmosque of Kairouan



Roma, Spagna, Trinita dei Monti-church



Arabic type sundial in Rome: Spagna, Trinita dei Monti church



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



Arabic type sundial in Altrincham (England)

Source: flickr.com/photos/gingerman/5364263343


… 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


http://terebess.hu/keletkultinfo/muemlek.html

http://terebess.hu/keletkultinfo/muemlek.html


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.


Then, what do these sundials show? (1)

Source: Atilla Bir, personal

Time: Sunrise + 8,75/12 unit, and the end of AsrFatih mosque sundial


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



Then, what do these sundials show? (2)Sundial of Hagia Sophia: Indicates DOHER (Zawaal) and ASR



Then, what do these sundials show? (3)Reconstruction and adaptation of the sundial of Al Hakim mosque in Kairo


1., Asr1 and qiblah

2., Time and Zawaal

3., Asr2, Fajr-6 and Fajr-14


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.


Then, what do these sundials show? (5)Sundial in Greatmosque of Kairouan: 4 or 5(!) gnomons



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!

http://www.islamicfinder.org/

http://www.islamicity.com/prayertimes/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

http://praytime.info/

http://praytime.info/


Acknowledgements

FERJANI, NaceurProf. Dr. BIR, Atilla

Dr. ERDÉLYI Anna

GARNER, Murray & Mary

Dr. KLUDÁK István

Sundials from the Islamic world

Documents

Transcript of Sundials from the Islamic world