The Automata of Al-Jazari

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bn Ismail Ibn al Razzaz AI-Jazari, scientist and engineer brought up in the Islamic society of the l2th century, lived and worked for 25 years in Mesopotamia in the palace of the Artukid ruler Sultan Nasir al-Din Mahmoud. He gained fame and glory with “Automata“, the world famous manuscript which is considered the most important text for the study of the History of Technology. The Volume is richly illustrated with outstanding miniatures.

This famous work has always aroused great interest even in the Western World, where it has been analysed by many scientists. Prof. Lynn White Jr. writes: “Segmental gears first clearly appear in A1-Jazari, in the West they emerge in Giovanni de Dondi‘s astronomical clock finished in 1364, and only with the great Sienese engineer Francesco di Giorgio (1501) did they enter the general vocabulary of European machine design“.

Characteristics:

• Format: 26 cm x 33 cm
• Pages: 358
• Gilt miniatures: 158
• Calligraphic style: Nashki script
• Date of manuscript: 602 H/1206
• Language: Arabic

Edition limited to 500 numbered copies.

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