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Mr. M. Fatih Serenli who is the general secretary of the
“Foundation of the History of Islamic Sciences” and accompanying
us in our visit, informs us on the globe. We
learn that the globe belonged to the Abbasid caliph Memun
(ruled between 813-833 AD) and it was built on the
back of one of the most meaningful scientific studies in
terms of history of science in the Arab-Islamic geography.
Mr. Serenli informs us that the globe, built upon the order
of caliph Memun to reflect the world map on a spherical
design, demonstrates the then known parts of the earth
with intriguing precision. Prof. Fuat Sezgin, who pioneered
the founding of the museum, has reconstructed this globe
according to a map which dates back to the first half of
the 9th century. We also learn that subject map is the oldest
map showing longitudes and latitudes according to the
projection principle that survived. In the Memun’s map,
more than 3000 locations are shown with their coordinates.
Muslims Don’t Know Their Place in The History of Science
While touring the museum, which opened its doors on
May 25th, 2008 in the restorated Gulhane Royal stables,
we once again referred to Prof. Fuat Sezgin. Currently Prof.
Sezgin is the director of the “Arab-Islamic Sciences History
Institute” at the Goethe University and he makes a great
contribution to science by unearthing the inventions of the
Islamic scientists from the musty pages of ancient books.
We learn that a like of this museum was situated at the
Islamic History of Sciences Institute at the Frankfurt University.
And that museum was as well founded by Prof. Sezgin.
In an interview Mr. Sezgin reports “Muslims are overwhelmed
by a feeling of inferiority against the Europeans
because they are not aware of the great contributions that
the islamic civilization made to the world history of sciences
or they just know just a small part of it. By establishing
these two museums in Istanbul and Frankfurt, Mr. Sezgin
must have aimed to show muslims in particular and in fact
people from all other cultural backgrounds, the marvellous
achivements of Muslim scientists and their invaluable contribution
to science.
The flow of the water from the reservoir is adjusted to be at the same speed during each second of 24 hours and the
motion obtained with the descent of the ballcock pushes forward the minute hand once in every 4 minutes and pulls
2 carts from the other side which carry large and small marbles. The big marbles that fall into the bell show the hours
while the small marbles show each 4 minutes lapsed. An also at every hour one of the doors behind the bells opens.
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