Tech women: Meet Mariam Asturlabi, Astrolabe Manufacturer

By Cinthia Mascarell

Mariam al-Asturlabi or Al-‘Ijliyah bint al-‘Ijli al-Asturlabi was a scientist, mathematician, astronomer, and astrolabe manufacturer in Aleppo, currently in northern Syria.

Impressive, but what is an astrolabe?

In simple words, an astrolabe is a historical instrument used to map the position of the sun, moon, planets and stars. An astronomical and navigation instrument.

In the Islamic Golden Age, astrolabes were used mostly to determine the qibla, the prayer direction towards Mecca, as well as to determine the times of prayer with the movement of the sun.

In reality, it is not clear who exactly the inventor was. But certainly, the origins of the astrolabe were in Greece and its invention was attributed to Hipparchus around 150 BC. However, it is likely that Apollonius of Perga has studied astrolabe projections around the year 225 BC and Hipparchus redefined and formalized the projection as a method to solve complex astronomical problems without spherical trigonometry and probably demonstrated its main features.

Mariam Asturlabi, The Woman Behind The Astrolabes

The astrolabe, as it is known today, emerged as a result of its introduction to the Islamic world around 750.

Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh Nasṭūlus (or Basṭūlus) was a well-known and popular astrolabe manufacturer located in Baghdad, Iraq. Mariam’s father was an apprentice of him and she worked for her father. She also became a student of Basṭūlus.

It has been said that Mariam’s designs were more intricate and innovative and, therefore, more useful.

Designing an astrolabe required Mariam to work with complex mathematical calculations and precision, but she gradually dominated the designs. This impressed Sayf Al Dawla, who reigned from 944 to 967. The city ruler found them very innovative. Mariam became so famous with her work that the ruler decided to employ her in his court in Aleppo. In addition to this, her designs also helped develop navigation and timing techniques.

Honours

The main-belt asteroid 7060 Al-‘Ijliya, discovered by Henry E. Holt at the Palomar Observatory in 1990, was named in her honor. She was named an extraordinary woman from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation by 1001 Inventions.

It’s great to meet a Muslim woman from the past passionate about astronomy. She is a role model for millions of girls around the world who want to leave their mark on their research and inventions.