Western Islamic Astrolabes
(Version 2024)

Western Islamic Astrolabes

• 0a The "Carolingian astrolabe", Paris Institut du Monde Arabe, no. AI 86-31. CCA 3042, AHP no. C1, pp. 271-278. See ELCA p. 192; ISH2 p. 379-381. Photo (web.archive.org)
  See the special volume The Oldest Latin Astrolabe, eds. W. Stevens, G. Beaujouan and A.J. Turner, Physis: rivista internazionale di storia della scienze Nuova Serie 32 (1995), Florence 1996, especially David A. King, The Earliest known European astrolabe in the light of other early astrolabes, pp. 359-402 reprinted in D.A. King, Astrolabes from Medieval Europe, Variorum Reprints 2011. Analysis of the spider in Elly Dekker, Paul Kunitzsch, The stars on the rete of the so-called Carolingian Astrolabe, From Bagdad to Barcelona, Studies in the Islamic Exact Sciences in Honour of Prof. Juan Vernet, Barcelona 1996, vol. 2, p. 655-672. The instrument is probably Arabic or (according to Kunitzsch) a Latin imitation from the Arabic, not part of an independent Roman tradition. For the star positions see Stautz, p. 84-85. p. 243, who thinks that this astrolabe is a Latin imitation of a 10th century Arabic astrolabe.
  See now also Thomas Freudenhammer, The Destombes astrolabe and early medieval travel between al-Andalus and Francia, Sudhoffs Archiv 107 (2023) Heft 1, pp. 3-15, who argues that the Destombes astrolabe is a copy, made by a Mozarab, of a 10th century Andalusi astrolabe, modelled on Eastern astrolabes.
  Replica: CI2 p. 91.
• 0b Lupitus of Barcelona, astrolabe described to him in a manuscript in Bern. See M. Schramm et al, Der Astrolabtext aus der Handschrift Codex 196, Burgerbibliothek Bern, Zeitschrift für Geschichte der arabisch-islamischen Wissenschaften 17 (2006-7), 199-300, scan. Reconstructed instrument see CI2 pp. 92-93. On the author see Thomas Freudenhammer, Lupitus of Barcelona, Sudhoffs Archiv 104 (2020), pp. 139-151, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48616035
• 1 Medieval drawing of an astrolabe by Khalaf ibn al-Mu‘âdh in a Latin manuscript (Paris BN Lat 7412). CCA 4024. AHP no. A1, p. 27-33. The Latin manuscript available online here (gallica). See
  Paul Kunitzsch, Traces of a tenth-century Spanish-Arabic astrolabe, ZGAIW 12 (1998), 113-120 = Studies B-XIII, scan. See the four plates at the end of E. Poulle. Le traité de l'astrolabe de Raymond de Marseille, Studi Medievali 3e serie, vol. 5 part 2, 1964 pp. 866-900. *
  For the star positions see Stautz, p. 53-54.
2 unsigned, undated astrolabe (London British Museum, object no. OA.+371), CCA 110. AHP no. A2, pp. 35-42. A few photos available, also photo ISH2 p. 350, 352, also a nice color photo at the bottom of a blog by a curator. (0 Aries at 13 March corresponds to a date around 1250 CE.). Also mentioned in D.A. King, The Earliest Known European Astrolabe, Fig. 3 (there he thinks that it may also be 10th century). Star posiitons: see Stautz p. 54-55 (W2), photo p. 189, Stautz mentions a date around 1000.
• 3 Instruments by Muhammad ibn al-Saffâr (brother of Ahmad ibn al-Saffar, author of astrolabe treatise). On the maker see Maier p. 75.
• * Astrolabe dated 411 H and sold at Sotheby's in 2017 for more than 600000 GBP, link. The spider is later (Ottoman). Provenance: private collection, France.
• * Mater and plates dated 417 H (Edinburgh Museum). CCA 3650. AP no. A3, pp. 43-49.
  See museum with no frontiers.
  Unclear photos: back,   back with alidade,   detail of the back,   front with spider and plate,   front without spider.  
  The spider is a later replacement.
  Star positions: Stautz p. 57 (W3), photo p. 190.
• * An astrolabe dated 420 H, Berlin, Staatsbibliothek. CCA 116. AHP no. A4, pp. 51-58. Photo l'Age d'Or p. 98 no. 25, ISH2 p. 36. Older reproduction in Gunther p. 251 no. 110. Photo of the front side on the website of the Staatsbibliothek. Described in F. Woepcke, Über ein in der Königlichen Bibliothek zu Berlin befindliches arabisches Astrolabium, 1858, digital version,
  reprinted in F. Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 86, pp. 1-36, scan. Also inscriptions in Hebrew, not mentioned by Woepcke.
  Star positions: Stautz p. 57, photo p. 191.
  Replica of the astrolabe see CI2, p. 95. The astrolabe was for some time in Marburg - see Plate II in Maier p. 125, (good) photo of the back.
• 4 b. Undated astrolabe by Ibrâhîm ibn ‘Abd al-Karîm. CCA 1079. See Maier p. 48 (once in Palermo, now stolen?). Maier gives the references: Mortillaro in Atti della R. Accademia di Scienze, Lettere e Belle Arti di Palermo vol. 19, p. 12 fig. 5, Lorenzo Caldo, Astrolabi del Museo Nazionale di Palermo, Coelum, 1938, pp. 106 f. figs. 5-7. Stautz p. 57 (W6).
• 5 Astrolabes by Ibrâhîm ibn Sa‘îd ibn A.sbagh al-An.sârî thumma al-Sahlî al-Mawâzînî. On the maker see Maier p. 50.
• a. Astrolabe dated 459 H, Madrid, Museo Arqueológico Nacional. CCA 117, AHP no. A6, pp. 71-79. Photos in Figure 3 of Azucena Hernandez Perez, Astrolabios en el Andalus. Video lecture on this astrolabe by Azucena Hernandez Perez. Photo ELCA p. 57, also p. 224. Gunther p. 252 no. 117, Franco no. 12, pp. 229-235. Made in Toledo. Enormous bibliography in Maier p. 50. Star positions: Stautz p. 56, 57 (W8). See photo of part of it in announcement of lecture by Mrs Azucena Hernandez Perez.
• b. Astrolabe dated 460 H. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 55331. CCA 118, AHP no. A7, pp. 81-88. Photos, also photo in ELCS p. 223, plate in ISH2 p. 49. Photos in Gunther p. 252? - 256, no. 118. Made in Toledo. Large bibliography in Maier p. 51. Star positions: Stautz p. 56, 57 (W9).
• c. Astrolabe dated 463 H, Roma, Italy, Observatorio Astronomico. CCA 123=1167, AHP no. A8, pp. 89-92 with photos. Mentioned in Gunther p. 263 without photos. Bibliography in Maier p. 51. Star positions: Stautz p. 56, 57 (W7). I have not found photos on the internet.
• 6 An astrolabe by Ibrâhîm ibn al-Sahlî dated 478 H (Kassel, Germany). CCA 121. AHP no. A12, pp. 121-129. Photos. Mentioned in Gunther p. 263; plate LIX (apparently not found in the Sezgin reprint of Gunther's work).
  Replica: see CI2 p. 97. Ref. Ludolf von Mackenzen, Die naturwissenschaftlich-technische Sammlung in Kassel, Kassel 1991, pp. 60-61 (not seen) This astrolabe is mentioned, with bibliography, in Maier p. 52.
  Star positions: Stautz p. 57, 59, photo p. 196.
  The astrolabe is on display in the exhibition: The year 1000, in the Rijksmuseum voor Oudheden in Leiden, Netherlands. Photo (thanks to Anja van Bunnik)
• 7 Two astrolabes by Mu.hammad ibn Sa‘îd al-.Sabbân al-Saraqus.tI. On the maker see Maier p. 76.
• a) Astrolabe dated 474 H, Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 52473. CCA 2527. AHP no. A11, pp. 111-120. Photos. Not mentioned in Gunther. Star positions: Stautz p. 56-59 (W11), photo p. 194.
• b) Astrolabe dated 496 H or (more likely) 466 H, Munich, Germany, Bayerisch Nationalmuseum. CCA 1139. AHP no. A9, pp. 95-102. Photo. Star positions: Stautz p. 56-59 (W10), photo p. 193.
• 8 An astrolabe by Mu.hammad ibn Sa'id al-Sahlî dated 483 H. Washington DC, USA, National Museum of American History. CCA 2572, AHP no. A13, pp. 131-136. Photos. See also Gibbs p. 174-177 with photos. Star positions: Stautz p. 57, 59, photo p. 197 (W14), the spider is of European (later) origin.
• 9 An astrolabe by A.hmad ibn Mu.hammad al-Naqqâsh dated 472 H. Nürnberg, Germany, Germanisches Nationalmuseum. CCA 1099. AHP no. A10 p. 103-109. Photos. The astrolabe was made in Zaragoza, photo Al-Andalus p. 376-37 no. 120 plus description by D.A. King. On the maker see Maier p. 37. A good photo of the back is Plate III in Mayer. Star positions: Stautz p. 56, 59 (W12), photo p. 195.
  Replica: see CI2, p. 96. Ref. to Schätze der Astronomie. Arabische und deutsche Instrumente aus dem Germanischen Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg, 1983. pp. 29-31.
• 10 Unsigned Andalusian astrolabe dated 446 H with later inscriptions in Catalan. CCA 3622. AHP no. A5 p. 59-69. Cracow, Poland, Jagellonski University Museum. See photo 3/10 and 5/10 in the Copernicus-treasuree in Krakow. See D. A. King, The Earliest Known European Astrolabe in the light of other early astrolabes, in Stevens et. al, ed. The Oldest Latin Astrolabe, Firenze 1995, pp.359-404, esp. p. 389, photo in the same paper Fig. 7. Star positions: Stautz p. 57 (W5), photo p. 192.
• 11-th century Andalusi astrolabe, with (later) Hebrew inscriptions, is now in the collection of the Findazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo in Verona, Italy. See the (open access) article : Federica Gigante, A medieval Islamic astrolabe with Hebrew Inscriptions in Verona, Nuncius 39 (2024), pp. 163-192.

Later Andalusi and Maghribi astrolabes (thirteenth to sixteenth century)

• 1 Astrolabes by Abû Bakr ibn Yûsuf (See on the maker Maier p. 32-33, see on all these astrolabes Cueillir les Étoiles pp. 88-92 plus refs.
• a) Universal astrolabe in the tradition of ‘Alî ibn Khalaf dated 584 H. CCA 4039. (no further information known to me)
• b) Astrolabe dated 605 H. CCA 124. Strasbourg. Description and photos in Cueillir les Étoiles pp. 60-87. Photo also in ISH2 p. 44, p. 53. Gunther p. 263-267. Older description in F. Sarrus, Description d'un Astrolabe construit a Maroc en l'an 1208, Mémoires de la Société du Museum d'histoire naturelle de Strasbourg 4 (1853), 1-32, 6 plates. Download here (google books) and here (Strassbourg University). Reprinted in Sezgin, AIOS vol. 1, pp. 193-230, with good drawings.
  Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73 (SM1), diagram p. 219.
• c) Astrolabe dated 610 H. CCA 2709. Rabat. Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73 (W2), partial photo p. 220.
• d) Astrolabe dated 613 H. CCA 1090. Toulouse. Apparently there is a detailed description by d'Hollander in Les astrolabes du musée Dupuy de Toulouse, Paris 1994. Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73 (W3).
• e. Astrolabe dated 615 H. CCA 125. Present location unknown. Gunther p. 267-268, ref. Sedillot, Memoire. p. 175. Described in Sedillot, Materiaux pour Servir a 'histoire comparee des sciences mathematiques chez les Arabes, p. 344-347 (the astrolabe belonged to Baron de Larrey). This was constructed by one Abu Bekr ibn Yusuf in Marrakesh.
• f. Astrolabe reworked by a European with maker's name and date obliterated. Madrid, Instituto de Valencia de Don Juan. CCA 1069. Franco no. 19, pp. 277-282. Photo ELCA p. 56. Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73 (SM4)
• g) A spider and set of plates. CCA 1057. London Science Museum. Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73 (SM5)
• 2 Astrolabes and plates by Mu.hammad ibn Fattû.h al-Khamairî (or: al-Jama'iri) of Seville dated between 609 H and 634 H. On the maker see Maier p. 64-65.
• a. A mater dated 609 H (present location unknown). CCA 127. AHP no. A14, pp. 137-139. Gunther, p. 269; Sauvaire and de Rey-Pailhade, Sur une mêre d'astrolabe arabe du XIIIe siècle (609 de l'Hégire), ... Journal Asiatique 9.série t. 1, 1893, pp. 5-76, 123-185, download here (gallica) and here (google). Reprinted in F.Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 87, pp. 1-119.
• b. A plate dated 613 H (once in Rome, but stolen). CCA 1081. AHP no. A15, pp. 141-144, See A. da Schio, Di due astrolabi in caratteri cufici occidentali trovati en Valdagno, Atti del Reale Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere et Arti (Venezia), 1879-1880, serie 5, t. 6, pp. 259-268, repr. in F. Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 86, pp. 184-193, and probably also A. da Schio, Di due astrolabi in caratteri cufici occidentali trovati en Valdagno, Venezia 1880, 71 pp. 6 plates, download (archive.org), reprinted in F. Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 86, pp. 194-272. Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73 (SM6). Replica see CI2 p. 117
• c. An astrolabe dated 614 H. Fez Dar Batha. CCA 2701. AHP no. A16, pp. 145-149. Photos (Museum with no frontiers: discover Islamic art). Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73-74 (SM7)
• d. A plate dated 615 H. Paris, Biblotheque Nationale. CCA 128. AHP no. A17, pp. 151-153. This has an interesting back side with orthographic projection and a tiny circle (for the moon?) Gunther p. 274. Described by F. Woepcke, Über ein in der kaiserlichen Bibliohek zu Paris befindliches arabisches Astrolabium, Bulletin de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St Pétersbourg 7, 1864, col. 220-227, 1 plate (of the back), (no plate of the front!), Digital version (orientalstudies.ru)
  repr in F.Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 86, pp. 37-42.
  Star positions: Stautz p. 71, 73 (SM8)
  This astrolabe is mentioned in Sedillot in Materiaux pour Servir a 'histoire comparee des sciences mathematiques chez les Arabes, p. 353.
• f. An astrolabe dated 618 H. Istanbul, Istanbul Technical University, Rectorate Building (near the metro stop for ITÜ on the line from Yenikapi to Haçiosman). CCA 4053. Star positions: Stautz p. 72 (SM9), photo p. 221. Replica see CI2 p. 98-99.
  The astrolabe is shown in the first minute in a documentary on ITÜ.
• g. An astrolabe dated 618 H. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 44141. CCA 129. AHP no. A18 pp. 155-161. Photos. Gunther p. 275-276, see L. Evans, Some European and Oriental astrolabes, The Archeological Journal (London) 68 (N.S. 18) pp. 211-230, 11 plates, repr. in F.Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 87, pp. 328-348. The article is available online here (archive.org)
• i. An astrolabe dated 620 H, Istanbul, Türk ve Islam Eserleri Müzesi. CCA 4052. Star positions: Stautz p. 72 (SM10), photo p. 222.
• j. A mater and plates dated 621 H, Washington National Museum of American History. CCA 4001. AHP no. A20, pp. 171-174. Photos, see also Gibbs p. 184-187 with photos.
• k. An astrolabe dated 621 H, Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 50394. CCA 130. AHP no. A19 pp. 163-169. Photos. See Gunther p. 276-277. Star positions: Stautz p. 72-74 (SM11).
• l. An astrolabe dated 628 H. Cairo, Museum of Islamic Art. CCA 1148. AHP A21 pp. 175-178 with photos.
  Replica see CI2 p. 100, where further references can be found.
• m. An astrolabe dated 634 H, Chicago Adler Planetarium, item M-35. CCA 153. AHP A22, pp. 179-184. Photos (click on the arrows above the photo to get more photos). Pingree p. 2-5, no. 1. Gunther p. 297 - 300. Star positions: Stautz p. 72-74 (SM12), photo p. 223.
• A spider and mater which King attributes to Khama'iri, photo ISH2 p. 43. CCA 4148. Auctioned by Christie's, present location unknown
• An astrolabe by al-Khama'iri, apparently not found in King's list, dated 613 H. (AD 1216). The astrolabe was taken to Paris where a plate for the latitude of Paris (48 degrees 22 minutes) was added. The astrolabe was then taken to the Ottoman court and donated by Sultan Selim III to the Mühendishane in Istanbul. Now in the Rahmi Koç Museum, Istanbul.
• 3 An astrolabe by Mu.hammad ibn Yûsuf ibn .Hâtim dated 638 H. CCA 638. Chicago Adler Planetarium, M-36. CCA 154. AHP A24 pp. 191-197. Photos (click on the arrows above the photo to see the other photos). Pingree p. 6-9 no.2, Gunther p. 300 (the date 1160 in Gunther is incorrect).
• 4 A zarqalliyya plate by Mu.hammad ibn Mu.hammad ibn Hudhayl dated 650 H. Barcelona, Observatoria Fabra. CCA 1071. AHP no. A25, pp.199-201. See also Franco no. 24, pp. 311-319. On the maker see Maier p. 73. Photo of the original Al-Andalus p. 380-381 no. 122, plus description by D.A. King. Replica see CI2, p. 116. Photo replica: ELCA p. 228.
• 5 An astrolabe by ‘Uthmân ibn ‘Abdallâh al-.Saffâr CCA 1077. Florence, History of Science Museum. On the maker see Maier p. 84. Good photo in Plate IV (b) in Maier.
• 6 Astrolabes by A.hmad ibn .Husayn ibn Bâ.so, on whom see Maier p. 35-36, p. 85 (where the name is corrected), 86, and a related unsigned piece
• a. Astrolabe dated 694 H. Madrid Reale Academia de Historia. CCA 132. AHP A27 pp.211-217. Photo ELCA p. 225. (Gunther p. 279 not clear). Star positions Stautz p. 72, 74-75 (SM17).
• b. Astrolabe dated 704 H. CCA 144. AHP no. A28, pp. 219-226. Now in Doha, Museum of Islamic Art. See description and photos in Gibbs p. 40, 137-139. See also John North, Horoscopes and History p. 60-65, who discusses the plates of this instrument in connnection with different systems for determinining the astrological houses. Color photo Al-Andalus p. 382-383 plus description by David A. King. Gunther p. 289. This astrolabe seems to have a non-concentric circle on the back. Star positions: Stautz p. 72, 74-75, (SM18), photo p. 230.
• c. Astrolabe dated 709 H (or 704?). CCA 1203. AHP A29, pp. 227-233. Photo of the back is Plate VII in Maier. Photo in King, ISH2, p. 353 where the date is 704. Star positions: Stautz p. 72, 74 (SM19).
• d. Unsigned undated astrolabe, Vienna, Austria, Technisches Museum. CCA 1100. AHP A30 pp. 235-243. Photos. (technischesmuseum.at)
• 7 An astrolabe by al-.Husayn ibn ‘Alî. Cambridge, Whipple Museum. CCA 1204. On the maker see Maier p. 48. Dated 709 AH, good photos of the front and back in Plates VIII and IX in Mayer. Excellent photos on a webpage of the Whipple Museum
• 8 An astrolabe dated 720 H by Ibrâhîm ibn Mu.hammad ibn al-Raqqâm. CCA 136. Madrid, Real Academia de la Historia. CCA 136. AHP no. A31, pp. 243-248. Photo of detail in Azucena Hernandez Perez, Astrolabios en el Andalus. Photo ELCA p. 226. (Gunther p. 280 has no info). On the maker see Maier p. 50. (is he a son of the scholar Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Raqqam on whom see article by Josep Casulleras html   pdf.)
• 9b A universal myrtle astrolabe by ‘Alî ibn Ibrâhîm al-Jazzâr. CCA 3579. Oxford Museum for the History of Science no. 50853, Photos. Dated 728 H. Photo ELCA p. 239 plus ref. to Calvo, photo ISH2 p. 559 plus description.
  Star positions Stautz p. 72, 75 (SM20), photo p. 231.
There seems to exist a mater dated 724 H also by ‘Alî ibn Ibrâhîm al-Jazzâr, in Geneva.
• 10 An astrolabe by A.hmad ibn Mu.hammad ibn Hârûn al-Hadamî Fez, Dar Batha. CCA 1121. On the maker see Maier p. 86.
• 11 An astrolabe by A.hmad ibn ‘Alî al-Shafî dated 729 H. CCA 1161. Stockholm, National Maritime Museum. CCA 1161, AHP A32 pp. 249-255. Photos (digitalmuseum.se). Photo on website of museum with no frontiers.
• 12 The astrolabic clock of Fez. CCA 4042. Photo Nasr, Islamic Science p. 121 plate 77, ISH2 p. 67. On the maker see Maier p. 40 (he seems to be `AlI b. A.hmad al-TilimsAnI, but see also Mu.hammad a.s-.SinhAjI. Maier p. 77. Star positions in Stautz p. 75 (SM23). Replica: CI3, pp. 106-107.
• 14 Unsigned instruments in the tradition of al-Khama'iri
  • a. An astrolabe for Seville. Naples, Italy, Museum Capodimonte. CCA 3551. AHP no. A23, pp. 185-190 with a photo. Star positions: Stautz p. 72, 74 (SM16), photo p. 229.
  • c. An astrolabe dated 785 H. Damascus Archeological Museum. CCA 4043. Star positions: Stautz p. 72, 74 (SM21), photo p. 232.
  • Another astrolabe now in Paris: Drouot (?). CCA 4148. Star positions: Stautz p. 72, 74 (SM15), photo p. 228. According to Stautz this is very similar to CCA 3551.
  15 Some unsigned, undated astrolabes in the tradition of al-Khamâ’irî
• a. Chicago, Adler Planetarium, A-396, CCA 4044. Photos. See Pingree p. 12-15 no. 4 (related to c: Marcel's Egyptian Astrolabe. Star positions: Stautz p. 72 (SM13), photo p. 224. (ex-Rockford Time Museum)
• b. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 41122. CCA 139. Photos. With Shakkaziya plate. Gunther p. 284, plate LXIII. This Shakkaziya plate used in our workshop 3. Star positions: Stautz p. 72, 74 (SM 14), two photos: p. 225 (spider), 226 (shakkaziyya plate), on p. 227 a graphical analysis of the Shakkaziyya plate.
• c. CCA 1160. "Marcel's Egyptian astrolabe" (present location unknown, probably lost). Taken from Egypt during Napoleon's expedition but already lost by the time of Sedillot - but the good drawings had been preserved somehow as Planches I-XXVII. Description in Sedillot, Memoire des instruments astronomiques des Arabes, pp. 166-172 plus Plates I-XXVII reproduced by Sedillot as Figs. 47-73, but the figures were "translated" (by Sedillot?) from Arabic into French and from abjad into Hindu-Arabic numbers. Star positions: Stautz p. 72, 75.
• e. A late thirteenth-century Andalusi-Maghribi astrolabe. Bologna, Italy, Museo della Specola. CCA 4184. AHP A26 pp. 203-209 with photos. description with photo, see also the same photo.
• f. CCA 3640. "Dr. Knuthsen's astrolabe" (present location unknown), photos Gunther p. 248.
• g. Astrolabe with a replacement throne and Eastern Islamic rete. CCA 3643. Washington National Museum of American History. Photos. See also Gibbs 177-179 (with bad photos)
• l. John Selden's Maghribi astrolabe. CCA 149. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, photos). Gunther p. 297. Described in Gunther, Early Science in Oxford, vol. 2, p. 194-197. as no. 28 (with pictures), repr. in AIOS vol. 4, pp. 271-274.
• n. Astrolabe in Madrid, Museo Arqueologico National, CCA 1067. Franco no. 13, pp. 237-242
• o. Astrolabe in Madrid, Museo Naval, CCA 1066. Franco no. 4, pp. 161-180.
• p. Astrolabe in Genoa, Italy, Societa Ligure de Storia Patria. CCA 1080. Gunther p. 298-299, see Remondini, P.C., Intorno all' astrolabio arabico, posseduto dalla Societa Ligure de Storia Patria de Genova, Firenze 1880, available online here (google), reprinted in F. Sezgin, Ismanic Mathematics and Astronomy, vol. 86, pp. 145-173. According to Gibbs p. 139 this astrolabe is dated 704 and has Ibn Baso's signature.
• 16 Three other undated, unsigned astrolabes not in the tradition of al-Khamâ’irî
• a. Astrolabe with a shakkâziyya grid on the back. Florence, Museum for the History of Science.
• b. An astrolabe with a "counter-ecliptic" frame on the rete. Madrid, Instituto de Valencia de Don Juan. CCA 1068. (this sounds interesting but no further information known to me)
• c. "Dorn's Aleppo astrolabe" (present location unknown). CCA 126. Gunther p. 268, refs. to Morley p. 4 and Sedillot, Memoire p. 178,
  Description: B. Dorn, Kurze Nachricht von zwei Astrolabien mit morgenländischen Inschriften, Bulletin Scientifique publié par l'Académi Impériale de Sciences de St. Petersbourg, 5 (1839), repr. in F. Sezgin, AIOS vol. 1, pp. 104- 113. Two good drawings.
  Check Sezgin ed. Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy 85, 104-113, is this the same?
  Dorn has another astrolabe (ein viertes) which may also be Maghribi, no useful drawings. This was the property of a mufti in Orenburg.
• 17 An astrolabe by Mu.hammad ibn Faraj of Granada dated 881 H. Naples, Italy, Museo di Capodimonte. CCA 3552, AHP A33 pp. 257-262 (weithout photos). Star positions Stautz p. 72, 75 (SM22), photo p. 233.
• 18 An astrolabe by A.hmad ibn ‘Umar al-Kabbî dated 933 H. CCA 1188. Cambridge, Whipple. it is probably this astrolabe (the photo is artistic but bad; the name Jilani must be false).
• 19 An astrolabe by ‘Alî and Mu.hammad al-Azdî dated 950 H ("the Valdagno astrolabe") (formerly in Rome, now stolen). CCA 148. On the maker(s) see Maier p. 42. Gunther p. 293. See A. da Schio, Di due astrolabi in caratteri cufici occidentali trovati en Valdagno, Atti del Reale Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere et Arti (Venezia), 1879-1880, serie 5, t. 6, pp. 259-268, repr. in F. Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 86, pp. 184-193, and probably also A. da Schio, Di due astrolabi in caratteri cufici occidentali trovati en Valdagno, Venezia 1880, 71 pp. 6 plates, repr. in F. Sezgin, Islamic Mathematics and Astronomy vol. 86, pp. 194-272.
• 20 Astrolabes (?) by ‘Alî ibn Mu.hammad ibn ‘Abdallâh ibn Faraj
• a. Astrolabe dated 910 or 1010 H. CCA 2571. Washington National Museum of American History. Photos. See also Gibbs p.171-173 with photos.
• 22a A single Shakkaziya plate. CCA 154. Chicago Adler Planetarium A-71. Photos. See Pingree p. 10-11 no. 3.
• Astrolabe by Ibn Zawal of Granada. Granada, Archeological and Etnological Museum. CCA 4217, AHP A34 pp. 263-268. Photo. Another photo. See the article by A. Eguearaz Mendoza, Es astrolabio del Museu Arqueologico de Granada, pp. 139-167 in Boletin de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Granada, download the whole issue 1 of the Boletin.

Late Maghribi astrolabes (seventeenth to nineteenth century)

• 1 Three astrolabes by al-.Hasan ibn A.hmad al-Ba.t.tû.tî. The maker is mentioned in Maier p. 46.
• a) Astrolabe dated 1097 H. CCA 2707. (Previously Point Lookout)
• b) Astrolabe dated 1103 H. CCA 2568. Washington National Museum of American History. Photos. See also Gibbs pp. 160+ 163-165 with nice photos.
• c) Astrolabe dated 1106 H. CCA 3804. Cairo, no further information known to me)
• 2 Astrolabes by Mu.hammad ibn A.hmad al-Ba.t.tû.tî. On the maker see Maier p. 60-61.
• *) Astrolabe dated 1128 H. CCA 3663. (Previously Point Lookout).
• *) Astrolabe dated 1133 H (not mentioned in King's list), Chicago Adler Planetarium A-76. Photos. See Pingree p. 20-25 no. 6.
• *) Astrolabe dated 1134 H. CCA 1041. Greenwich National Maritime Museum.
• *) Astrolabe dated 1136 H. Chicago Adler Planetarium A-87. Photos. See Pingree p. 26-29 no. 7.
• *) Astrolabe dated 1139 H, now in the "Louvre" in Abu Dhabi, see the information. Another webpage contains some more photos and a lot of nonsense information. This astrolabe was removed from a mosque in Algiers to which it had been donated.
• *) Astrolabe dated 1141 H. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 52713. photos
• *) Astrolabe dated 1146 H. CCA 1023. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 51459. Photos
• *) Astrolabe dated 1151 H. CCA 1027. Greenwich National Maritime Museum.
• 3 An anonymous Maghribi astrolabe with a transversal alidade. London Science Museum. CCA 4049. See photos on https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co56145/islamic-astrolabe-1701-1800-astrolabe
• 4 Two astrolabes by Sharaf Allâh
• a) Undated astrolabe dedicated to the Sharîf Mu.hammad ibn ‘Abdallâh. CCA 3544. Paris Institut du Monde Arabe.
  Probably not the astrolabe on this photo, which astrolabe is in a private collection.
• b) Unsigned astrolabe dated 1179 H. CCA 1070. Madrid.
• 5 Some late, signed and dated Maghribi astrolabes
• a. An astrolabe by ‘Abdallâh ibn Sâsî dated 1099 H. CCA 145. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 45220). photos. Gunther p. 290-291. See Maier p. 28.
• Mu.hammad b. ShaddAd, who according to Maier p. 77 made an astrolabe in 1865 (?).
• An astrolabe by Ibrahim b. Mu.hammad al-Balawi, dated 1098 H. (private collection?), see Maier p. 86-87.
• 6 Three astrolabes by Mu.hammad ibn al-Mufa.d.dal ibn A.hmad ibn Kîrân
• a. Astrolabe dated 1126 H. CCA 3918. (ex-Rockford Time Museum, present location unknown?)
• b. Astrolabe dated 1264 H, by Muhammad ibn al-Mufaddil ibn Kiran. CCA 4134. Chicago Adler Planetarium A-77. Photos. See Pingree p. 33-35, no. 9.
• c. Unsigned and undated astrolabe. CCA 155. Oxford Museum of History of Science no 47714. Photos. Gunther p. 300 (this seems to be very late, only in part according to the traditional methods)
• Astrolabe dated 1216/1801 by al-.hAqir Abd al-Karim. CCA 53. Washington Museum of American History. Photos (note that the museum website calls this a "Persian astrolabe". See Gibbs pp. 90-92 also with photos.
• 7 Some late, unsigned Maghribi astrolabes
• d. Dorn II St. Petersburg. CCA 3671. Probable source: B. Dorn, Drei in der kaiserlichen öffentlichen Biblothek zu St. Petersburg befindliche arabische astronomische Instrumente, St. Petersburg 1865, Memoires de l'academie imperiale des sciences de St. Petersbourg, t. IX no. 1, reprinted Sezgin AIOS vol. 1. The second of the three instruments is an astrolabe (the first a quadrant, the third a celestial globe). The article has a description but no good figures of the astrolabe so it is not very useful - it does have good drawings of the quadrant at the end.
• e. CCA 143. Oxford Museum of the History of Science, no. 53556, photos). Gunther p. 287-288. The website of the Oxford museum wrongly states that this astrolabe is 14th century. It is a late and rather ugly astrolabe.
• f. CCA 133. London British Museum nr. OA+.1733. Gunther p. 279, ref. Morley C p. 36. Many photos. (Note that Morley B p. 34-35 is probably also a Western Arabic astrolabe, also at London - East India House, no idea what this now corresponds to).
• h. CCA 4135. Paris, Louvre
• j. CCA 1034. An undated astrolabe with a European-type rete. Greenwich National Maritime Museum.
• l. CCA 1046. A degenerate astrolabe bearing the date 1184 H. Greenwich National Maritime Museum)
• m. CCA 4136. Amsterdam Scheepvaartmuseum
• n. Cambridge Whipple Museum of History of Science
• o. CCA 1058. A composite astrolabe. London Science Museum. Photos in https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co56975/islamic-astrolabe-1145-1155-astrolabe, where the astrolabe is dated to the mid-twelfth century.
• p. CCA 1083. Paris.
• Oxford Museum of History of Science no. 41460, photos, ca. 1800?
• Oxford Museum of History of Science no. 40407, photos, ca. 1800?
• Another astrolabe, Oxford History of Science Museum no. 34314, photos. Very late.
• A late (?) astrolabe, not traditional, Chicago, Adler Planetarium, M-37. photos. See Pingree p. 16-19 no. 5.
• An unsigned and undated astrolabe, Chicago Adler Planetarium, DPW-54. Photos. See Pingree p. 30-32 no. 8.
• 9 Miscellaneous bits and pieces
  • h. CCA 1057. A mater with a .safî.ha shakkâziyya on the back made to accomodate a rete and set of plates by [Abû Bakr ibn Yûsuf] London Science Museum

Relevant other astrolabes

• A Shakkaziyya plate, made by Ibrahim of Damascus in 1270/1 CE., London British Museum, number 1890,0315.3, photos available. The calendar at the back is Coptic.
• A Byzantine astrolabe now in Brescia, see for good photos and a description in Italian pp. 40-43 of the PhD dissertation by Marco Flamine, Opere d'Arte Bizantina in Lombardia lineamenti pe un catalogo (secoli IV-XV), Milano 2012/13, available online

General literature on Western Islamic astrolabes, and abbreviations used in the astrolabe list

Medieval Western Islamic authors who wrote on astrolabes, and instrument makers in the Western Islamic world (in chronological order):

Maslama al-Majriti (died Cordoba, al-Andalus, 1007). Article on him by Josep Casulleras, html   pdf.
Paul Kunitzsch, Richard Lorch, Maslama's notes to Ptolemy's Planispherium and related texts, München 1994, download here (publikationen.badw.de) or here (zobodat.at)
Arabic transcription by Paul Hullmeine of notes by Maslama ibn Ahmad al-Majriti, with images of the manuscriupt (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Fonds Arabe 4821) https://ptolemaeus.badw.de/work/206
J. Vernet, M. Catalá, Las obras matematicas de Maslama de Madrid, Al-Andalus 30 (1965), pp. 15-45, available online (proquest), scan. *

A.hmad ibn al-.SaffAr (born Cordova, al-Andalus, died Denia al-Andalus, 1035, the brother of the instrument maker Mu.hammad ibn al-.SaffAr), article on him by Monica Rius. html, pdf.
J. Millas Vallicrosa, (1) Los primeros tratados de astrolabio en el Espana arabe, and (2) edition of the Arabic text of the astrolabe text of Ahmad Ibn al-Saffar (the brother of the instrument maker) in Revista del Instituto Egipcio des Estudios Islamicos 3 (1955), Spanish part p. 35-49, Arabic part 47-76, scan.
Richard Lorch e.s., Ibn al-Saffar's Traktat ü das Astrolab in der Übersetzung von Plato von Tivoli, in: Cosmographica et Geographica: Festschrift für Herbert M. Nobis, München 1994 p. 125-180 (series Algorismus vol. 13). Another translation by Johannes Hispalensis in J. Millas Vallicrosa, Las traducciones orientales en los manustritos de la Bibliotheka de la Cathedral de Toledo, Madrid 1942, pp. 261-284.

Ibn al-Sam.h (Cordoba 979 - Granada 1035). Article on him by Monica Rius html   pdf.
Arabic manuscript of his work K. al-`amal bi-l-asturlab, London British Library Add. 9602/2, online at Qatar Digital Library, or download pdf.
Merce Viladrich, El-Kitab al-`Amal bi-l-Astrolab (Llibre de l'Ús de l'Astrolabi) d'Ibn al-Samh, Estudi i Traducció, Barcelona 1986. (Dr Viladrich also made an Arabic edition which is available but apparently was never published)

Ali ibn Khalaf (11th c. Al-Andalus), article on him by Roser Puig.
Emilia Calvo, La lámina universal de Ali b. Jalaf (s. XI) en la versión alfonsi y su evolución en instrumentos posteriores, in: Ochava espera y Astrofisica, ed. M. Comes et. al, Barcelona 1990 pp. 221-238.

Ibrahim al-Zarqali (or al-Zarqalluh) (died Cordoba, al-Andalus, 1100). Article on him by Roser Puig, html   pdf.
Roser Puig, Los Tratados de Construcción y Uso de la Azafea de Azarquiel, Madrid 1987 *.
Roser Puig, Al-Sakkaziyya, Ibn al-Naqqas al-Zarqalluh, Edición, traducción y estudio, Barcelona 1986. *
Roser Puig, La proyeccion ortographica en el Libro de la Acafeha Alfonsi, De astronomia Alphonsi Regis, Proceedings of the Syumposium on Alphonsine Astronomy held at Berkeley (august 1985) together with other papers on the same subject, Barcelona 1987, pp. 125-138. *
Roser Puig, Concerning the .safI.ha shakkAziyya, Zeitschrift für Geschichte der arabisch-islamischen Wissenschaften 2 (1985), 123-139. *
Roser Puig, Al-Zarqalluh's Graphical Method for Finding Lunar Distances, Centaurus 32 (1989), 294-309. *
Roser Puig, On the Eastern sources of Ibn al-Zarqalluh's orthographic projection, From Bagdad to Barcelona, Studies in the Islamic Exact Sciences in Honour of Prof. Juan Vernet, Barcelona 1996, vol. 2, pp. 737-753.
E.Wiedemann, Theodor Mittelberger, Einleitung von al-Zarqali zu einer Schrift über die nach ihm benannte Scheibe, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften LXIX, Sitzungsberichte der physikalisch-medizinischen Sozietät in Erlangen 58-59 (1926-27), pp. 197-202, scan (zobodat.at)

Abu al-Salt (Al-Andalus, ca. 1068 - Bejaia, 1134 CE).Article on him by Merce Comes html   pdf.
Arabic manuscript of his work on the use of the astrolabe, ms. Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Fonds Arabe, 6441, Digital Version (gallica.fr).

Ibn Baso (al-Andalus, died 1316 in Granada), article on him by Emilia Calvo.
Emilia Calvo, ed. tr. Abu `AlI al-.Husayn ibn bA.so (m. 716/1316), risAlat al-.safI.ha al-Yami`a li-yamI` al-`urU.d, Tratado sobre la lámina general para todas las latitudes,, Madrid 1993. *
Emilia Calvo, Ibn Baso's astrolabe in the Maghrib and East, From Bagdad to Barcelona, Studies in the Islamic Exact Sciences in Honour of Prof. Juan Vernet, Barcelona 1996, vol. 2, pp. 755-767. *
Emilia Calvo, A study of Ibn Baso's Astrolabe, Archives Internationales d'Histoire des Sciences (2000),264-295. *
Emilia Calvo, On the Construction of Ibn Baso's Universal Astrolabe (14th c.) according to a Moroccan Astronomer of the 18th century, Journal for the history of Arabic Science 10 (1992-4), 53-67, scan. (archive.org)
Emilia Calvo, Transformation of Coordinates in Ibn Baso's Al-Risala fi'l-Safiha al-Mujayyyaba dhat al-awtar, Journal for the History of Arabic Science 12(2001), 3-21. scan (archive.org)
Emilia Calvo, Ibn Baso's Universal Plate and its influence in European astronomy, Historia Scientiarum 18 (1992), 61-70.Download   Download the whole vol. 18.

.Hasan Al-Marrakushi (second half of 13th century CE): Article on him by Francois Charette html   pdf. al-Marrakushi, Jami` al-Mabadi' wa-l-Ghayat, Facsimile edition, Frankfurt 1984, 2 vols., scan of volume 2, ,   scan of volumes 1 and 2 . See also Sédillot. Note that al-Marrakushi worked in Cairo.

Ibn al-Banna' (Marrakesh 1256-1310) Article on him by Julio Samso html   pdf.

Workshops on Western Islamic astrolabes.

Workshop on the abjad numeral system. Even for readers who do not know Arabic, mastering this system takes only 30 minutes. For Western Islamic astrolabes, you will need the Western abjad system, which differs in only a few details from the Eastern Islamic system. See the end of part 1 of the workshop.

Workshop on reading an astrolabe made by al-Battuti: (held in Algiers 2018)
Handout
Reference sheet
Links to photos: Adler Planetarium, item A-76, direct link: https://adler-ais.axiellhosting.com/Details/collect/453 which will give access to the first of 20 fotos, for the other photos click on the arrows above the image. For this workshop you will need the photos 1/20, 4/20, 6/20, 7/20, 8/20 and 12/20.
For the bonus exercise at the end: astrolabe no. 51459 in the History of Science Museum in Oxford, astrolabe   spider   back side
Readers who do not know Arabic can come a long way if they learn the abjad numeral system first (see above)

Workshop on designing an astrolabe according to traditional methods.
This workshop has been held in Lahore (Feb. 2018), Algiers (Nov. 2018) and in the Mathematics Village near Eskisehir, Turkey (Oct 2022). The links is to the workshop in the most recent version, which uses the traditional astrolabe construction methods by Taqi al-Din ibn Maruf (ca. 1575).

My team members have also produced an introductory workshop on the astrolabe, using a cardboard and plastic model based on an islamic astrolabe, a workshops on the Zarqali plate and a workshop on the Zawraqi astrolabe. These three workshops are not available online.