Astrolabe, by Muhammad Mahdi al-khadim al-Yazdi, Persian, c.1650 (Inv. 41763)
Verses from the Koran
Both sides of this astrolabe have a verse from the Koran and a Shiite invocation around the edge. The inscription in the throne begins "God: there is no god but Him, the Ever Living, the Ever Watchful. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him." Inside the mater is a table for finding the direction of Mecca.