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Muslim Spain - Influx into Europe

Muslim Spain - Influx into Europe

Medium image of Inv Num 55331 - Astrolabe

Mathematics was enthusiastically studied in the Islamic culture of medieval Spain. Toledo was an important centre of learning, but scholars also travelled further afield. The similarities in design between the Spanish and North African astrolabes show that styles of manufacture also travelled widely.

The plates (with the exception of one that is incomplete) are marked with the lines for Muslim prayers. The back of the mater bears the symbols of the signs of the Zodiac, together with their names in both Roman and Arabic characters.


Inventory no. 55331
Astrolabe, by Ibrahim ibn Sa’id al-Sahli, Toledo, 1068

Page last modified: 24 September 2019