1. Al-Zarqali lived in Toledo, Al-Andalus before moving to Cordoba later in his life.
15 Facts About Al-Zarqali
1. 2.
Al-Zarqali's works inspired a generation of Islamic astronomers in Al-Andalus, and later, after being translated, were very influential in Europe.
3.
Al-Zarqali, of Arab origin, was born in a village near the outskirts of Toledo, the then capital of the newly established Taifa of Toledo.
4.
Al-Zarqali started work after 1048 under Said al-Andalusi for the Emir Al-Mamun of Toledo and under Al-Mu'tamid of the Taifa of Seville.
5.
Al-Zarqali was trained as a metalsmith and due to his skills he was nicknamed Al-Nekkach "the engraver of metals".
6.
Al-Zarqali's Latinized name, 'Arzachel' is formed from the Arabic al-Zarqali al-Naqqash, meaning 'the engraver'.
7.
Al-Zarqali is known to have taught and visited Cordoba on various occasions, and his extensive experience and knowledge eventually made him the foremost astronomer of his time.
8.
Al-Zarqali was an inventor, and his works helped to put Toledo on the intellectual center of Al-Andalus.
9.
Al-Zarqali is referred to in the works of Chaucer, as 'Arsechieles'.
10.
Al-Zarqali's works influenced Ibn Bajjah, Ibn Tufail, Ibn Rushd, Ibn al-Kammad, Ibn al-Haim al-Ishbili and Nur ad-Din al-Betrugi.
11.
Al-Zarqali wrote two works on the construction of an instrument for computing the position of the planets using diagrams of the Ptolemaic model.
12.
Al-Zarqali invented a perfected kind of astrolabe known as "the tablet of al-Zarqali", which was famous in Europe under the name Saphaea.
13.
Al-Zarqali measured its rate of motion as 12.04 arcseconds per year, which is remarkably close to the modern calculation of 11.77 arcseconds.
14.
Al-Zarqali contributed to the famous Tables of Toledo, an adaptation of earlier astronomical data by Al-Khwarizmi and Al-Battani, to locate the coordinates of Toledo.
15.
Al-Zarqali's almanac contained tables which allowed one to find the days on which the Coptic, Roman, lunar, and Persian months begin, other tables which give the position of planets at any given time, and still others facilitating the prediction of solar and lunar eclipses.