The Al-Andalus Knowledge Revolution

The candle clock

The candle clock described by Andalusian historian Ibn al-Khatib was in the shape of a dodecagon or 12-sided polygon. On each side was a 'mihrab' niche with a window closed with a latch.

On the top was a candle divided into 12 parts that correspond to the hours.

Each section had a linen thread, the other end of which was attached to one of the window latches.

Under each window was a metal tray.

When the candle burned down to one of the 12 parts marking the hours, it burned the linen thread, causing the latch to move and a pellet to fall into the tray.

This sound indicated that another hour had passed.

Armillary sphere

This globe was made in 1081 by Ibrahm ibn Sa'id al-Sahli, an Andalusian astronomer who worked for the court of Toledo and Valencia.

The position of the stars can be seen in relation to the ecliptic orbit.

Approximately 1,004 stars are shown grouped into 47 constellations, according to Claudius Ptolemy's Almagest system.

'Risala fi'ilm al-zilal' manuscript (Treatise on the science of shadows)

This manuscript was written by the astronomer Ibn al-Raqqam from Murcia, who died in 1315.

The manuscript, the only remaining copy of which is kept in the library at El Escorial near Madrid, contains 16 pages and deals with gnomonics: the art of making sundials.

Astronomy books

Reproduction of books produced on the request of King Alfonso X the Wise of Castile between 1276 and 1277.

They contain 16 scientific treatises on Arab tradition, most describing astronomical instruments.

Portable horizontal quadrant with compass

The hyperbola curves represent the shadow of the sun during the solstices and the straight line represents its path during the equinoxes.

The quadrant was suspended by 3 equidistant wires on its base.

In it was a circle into which magnetite was placed, and the quadrant pointed towards magnetic north.

In Al-Andalus, the field of medicine was not its own distinct practice. Besides being physicians, doctors were also pharmacologists and botanists.

Al-Zahrawi's surgical treatise

Al-Zahrawi was one of the key figures in medieval medicine.

His manual refers to physiology, pathology, therapeutics, and pharmacology, among other things.

His work was translated into Latin in Toledo during in 12th century and was the main text used by medieval and Renaissance surgeons.

Al-Zahrawi's surgical instruments

These instruments (cautery, saw, forceps, and scissors) have been reproduced according to the models described in Al-Zahrawi's treatise.

The cautery was used to convert tissue into scar tissue, the saw could cut through bone, the forceps were used to pull out teeth, and the scissors were used for circumcision.

Dioscorides' "De Materia Medica" (On Medical Materials)

This is one of the most important ancient pharmacology treatises written in the 1st century.

It reached the Iberian Peninsula in the 10th century and contributed to the development of Andalusian pharmacology.

It was originally written in Greek but was studied, revised, and translated into Arabic by a group of doctors in the Caliphate of Córdoba.

Bronze pestle and mortar

The study of medicinal compounds developed significantly in Muslim Spain, with the rich flora and fauna of the Iberian Peninsula contributing to key pharmacological advances.

Stills, flasks, jars, and pestles and mortars were commonplace in pharmacies for making medicines.

Pestles and mortars were widely used to crush up the ingredients required to produce remedies.

Ibn Luyn's agriculture treatise

Ibn Luyun (1282–1349) was a poet and agronomist from Almería who wrote a work covering the basics of the art of agriculture.

The 'Uryza', as it was also known, analyzes the 4 key aspects of agriculture: land, water, fertilizer, and work.

Animal-powered waterwheel

This was the most popular water-supply system in Muslim Spain.

It consisted of a mechanism with 2 wheels, one of which was horizontal and driven by an animal pulling a wooden arm.

The other vertical wheel inside the well had buckets attached to it, which were submerged to collect water before emptying their contents into a channel.

The Tale of Bayad and Riyad (Garden Scene with Hydraulic Waterwheel)

This visionary manuscript tells of the love between a merchant, Bayad, and a maid, Riyad.

It may have been written in Seville in the early 13th century.

It contains 14 miniatures depicting different scenes, in which gardens and water have a prominent role.

9th-century Arab boat

Spain's peninsular location coupled with the initiative of Islamic society led to developments in navigation that were of great importance for religion, economy, and trade.

Among the innovations that the Arabs introduced to ships were the triangular sail, which could hold the wind on either side, and the sternpost rudder, which replaced side oars.

Astrolabe

Most of the surviving 11th-century Arab-Islamic astrolabes come from Muslim Spain.

Their designs included modifications that influenced the entire Islamic world and the West.

The astrolabe could be used to gather lots of different information, such as the length of the day and night, latitudes, the position of the sun and stars, and more.

Treatise on the Tides

Al-Bakri was an 11th-century author in Muslim Spain who excelled at geography.

His work divides the earth into 7 climates and each of these into 10 sections, according to classical tradition.

In the treatise, he describes all the places known at the time, from India and China to Western Europe.