Islam initially spread towards Syria and then Persia, and some of the earliest astrolabes came from these regions. This instrument probably dates from the late 9th century. The maker may have studied under Alî b. Isà al-asturlâ bî, a famous astronomer and instrument-maker who flourished in Baghdad and Damascus c.830-832, and who wrote one of the earliest treatises on the astrolabe. A characteristic feature of these early astrolabes is the ‘dagger’ style of the star pointers on the rete.

Inventory no. 47632
Astrolabe, by Khafif, Syro-Egyptian, Late 9th Century?