Sharaf al-Dawla's observatory at Baghdad

رصد شرف الدولة ببغداد

Baghdad

The observatory the Buyid sultan Sharaf al-Dawla commissioned at Baghdad in 378: he ordered the observation of the seven planets in their courses and zodiacal transits on the model of what al-Ma'mun had done, and a well-built observing house went up at the back of the garden in Dar al-Mamlaka, its sightings written into a register drawn up by those who knew geometry 1.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era
Region
Levant & Iraq
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

In space

Baghdad

Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph

Astronomy and timekeeping

Overview

The observation ordered by the Buyid sultan Sharaf al-Dawla in Baghdad in 378 AH, on the pattern of what al-Ma'mun had done in his day. 1

The observation house

Sharaf al-Dawla ordered the tracking of the seven planets in their courses and their movement through the zodiac. A solid house was built in the queen's palace at the end of the garden; observations were taken and a formal record was written, signed by those who knew geometry, affirming the fitness of the site for that house. 1

Not yet covered here

An additional source is still needed: the names of the engineers and astronomers who carried out the work.

Connections

Explore the connections

Located in
Baghdad
Founded by
شرف الدولة بن ركن الدولة

People and things also explored

al-Khwarizmi· The Nizamiyya Madrasa of Baghdad· Bayt al-Hikma — the House of Wisdom· The 'Adudi Bimaristan· al-Bimaristan al-Muqtadiri· Bimaristan al-Sayyida· Dar al-'Ilm of Baghdad (Sabur's library)· The Jami' al-Qati'a of Baghdad

Sources

  1. al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Muluk wa'l-Umam — Ibn al-Jawzi , j.7 p.145
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Sharaf al-Dawla's observatory at Baghdad”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/building/sharaf-al-dawla-observatory/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-20.

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Objects

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Related

al-Khwarizmi

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, numbered by al-Mas'udi among Islam's astronomers.