Basra
Al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham of Basra lived in the eleventh century between Iraq and Egypt.
Ibn al-Haytham's Dark Room
The scientist who proved how we see — in twelve cards.
The Nile promise
He told Caliph al-Hakim he could regulate the Nile's flood, and was summoned to Egypt.
The failure
Seeing the Nile he knew the project impossible, so he feigned madness, fearing the caliph.
The dark room
He lived ten years in a room near al-Azhar, writing, copying and testing light.
The camera
He built a dark chamber with a small hole and saw the street's image inverted on the wall.
The proof
He proved light travels in straight lines from the thing to the eye.
The ancients wrong
The ancients said the eye sends rays to things — he corrected them.
The Optics
He wrote the Book of Optics in seven parts: the eye's anatomy, light's path, and reflection.
The experiment
He said: if you want the truth, test it yourself — don't take the masters' word.
The glass
He studied lenses and mirrors and wrote on the burning sphere and refraction.
The camera's father
His dark chamber is the camera's principle — from a wall's hole came the picture.
The scientist
Scientists count him the first to follow the modern method: doubt, test, measure.
1 / 12
- Basra
Al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham of Basra lived in the eleventh century between Iraq and Egypt. - The Nile promise
He told Caliph al-Hakim he could regulate the Nile's flood, and was summoned to Egypt. - The failure
Seeing the Nile he knew the project impossible, so he feigned madness, fearing the caliph. - The dark room
He lived ten years in a room near al-Azhar, writing, copying and testing light. - The camera
He built a dark chamber with a small hole and saw the street's image inverted on the wall. - The proof
He proved light travels in straight lines from the thing to the eye. - The ancients wrong
The ancients said the eye sends rays to things — he corrected them. - The Optics
He wrote the Book of Optics in seven parts: the eye's anatomy, light's path, and reflection. - The experiment
He said: if you want the truth, test it yourself — don't take the masters' word. - The glass
He studied lenses and mirrors and wrote on the burning sphere and refraction. - The camera's father
His dark chamber is the camera's principle — from a wall's hole came the picture. - The scientist
Scientists count him the first to follow the modern method: doubt, test, measure.