Encyclopaedia of Islam

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The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
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Publications & Services> Reference Works> Reference work> Encyclopaedia of Islam

Encyclopaedia of Islam

New Edition

Edited by P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs

Series, Encyclopedic Work

Reviews

'The closest parallel is the 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. In brief, this is one of the great scholarly surveys of learning produced in the 20th century...simply essential for any kind of cross-cultural educational pursuit…'
Guy Gran, World Development, Vol. 17, No. 4, 1989.

'Un monument en voie d'achèvement...Elle constitue surtout... une oeuvre de référence, unique pour tout ce qui concerne la théologie, le droit, l'ethnographie, la littérature, les arts, la civilisation islamique, des origines jusq'au début du vingtième siècle…'
Éric Rouleau, Le Monde.

'...probablement la plus fameuse des oeuvres collectives orientalistes…'
Kh. Samir, S.J., Orientalia Christiana Periodica.

'Es ist das internationale Standardwerk für alle Bereiche 'des Islams''
Martin Greskowiak, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, 1990.

'...aucun ne pourra contester la qualité exceptionelle de la plupart de ces études, l'étendue de l'information, sous une forme relativement condensé, et se féliciter de l'heureuse idée qu'a eue la rédaction le l'Encyclopédie de l'Islam, de mettre à la portée de tous, et non pas des seuls islamisants, un travail de cette valeur…'
Y. Linant de Bellefonds Revue Internationale de Droit Comparé

'...so useful, so authoritative, and so essential to anyone with a serious interest in Islam and Islamic civilization in the broadest sense...Amidst the storm of controversy raging over the reefs and shoals of Orientalism, this monumental vessel sails serenely on, under a flag of truce, as it were, exempt from attack...'
Donald P. Little, Religious Studies Review.

'...one of the major scholarly enterprises of our time.'
Alexis G.C. Savvides, Journal Orient. & Afr. St., 1993.

'...belongs in all academic libraries where courses on the Islamic world are taught, and in all major public libraries.'
David L. White, ARBA, 1994.

'...no large library should be without it…'
Mohammad Shoeb Nomani, librarian of the King Fahd University, Dhahran, Arab News, 1988.

'The one indispensable tool for research on the peoples and cultures of Islam. The Encyclopaedia of Islam is not only a comprehensive digest of the best existing scholarship, but often points the way for new lines of inquiry.'
R. Stephen Humphreys, University of California-Santa Barbara.

'After a long history of distinguished scholarship, the Encyclopaedia of Islam has become a true and venerable institution of Islamic studies.'
Wadad Kadi, University of Chicago.

'...the central archive of the international Orientalist tradition, a massive declaration of the state of the art, a cornucopia overflowing with the fruits of the last few and next few generations' scholarly minds, a record of the best part of a century of Orientalist scholarship. The Encyclopaedia of Islam will still be a basic tool of our trade in the 2030s, and even most probably a century later in the 2130s.'
Adrian Brockett, Bulletin of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, 1989.

'An indispensable reference tool for ancient, medieval and modern Islamic Studies.'
David Hirsch, Middle East Bibliographer, UCLA.

'The one indispensable tool for research on the peoples and cultures of Islam. The Encyclopaedia of Islam is not only a comprehensive digest of the best existing scholarship, but often points the way for new lines of inquiry.'
R. Stephen Humphreys, University of California, Santa Barbara.

'After a long history of distinguished scholarship, The Encyclopaedia of Islam has become a true and venerable institute of Islamic studies.'
Wadad Kadi, University of Chicago.

For more information about the Encyclopeadia of Islam Online visit www.brillonline.nl to view a free demo or to place your order.

The Encyclopaedia of Islam (New Edition, now also called EI-2) sets out the present state of our knowledge of the Islamic World. It is a unique and invaluable reference tool, an essential key to understanding the world of Islam, and the authoritative source not only for the religion, but also for the believers and the countries in which they live.
It embraces articles on distinguished Muslims of every age and land, on tribes and dynasties, on the crafts and sciences, on political and religious institutions, on the geography, ethnography, flora and fauna of the various countries and on the history, topography and monuments of the major towns and cities. In its geographical and historical scope it encompasses the old Arabo-Islamic empire, the Islamic countries of Iran, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, the Ottoman Empire and all other Islamic countries.
The New Edition is published in double fascicules of 112 pages. Eight double fascicules make up one volume. Upon completion of a volume, covers and prelims are supplied for binding.
The volumes will be completed with Index of Subjects (2005) Index of Terms (2006), Index of Proper Names (planned).

This product consists of the following titles

12. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume XII (Supplement)
Edited by P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs

11. Encyclopaedia of Islam
Edited by P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs

10. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume X (Tā'-U[..])
Edited by P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs

9. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume IX (San-Sze)
Edited by C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs and the late G. Lecomte.

8. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume VIII (Ned-Sam)
Edited by C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs and G. Lecomte, Assisted by P.J. Bearman and Mme S. Nurit.

7. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume VII (Mif-Naz)
Edited by C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by F.Th. Dijkema (pp. 1-384), P.J. Bearman (pp. 385-1058) and Mme S. Nurit.

6. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume VI (Mahk-Mid)
Edited by C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by F.Th. Dijkema and S. Nurit. With B. Lewis (pp. 1-512) and W.P. Heinrichs (pp. 513-1044).

5. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume V (Khe-Mahi)
Edited by C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, B. Lewis and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by F.Th. Dijkema and S. Nurit

4. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume IV (Iran-Kha)
Edited by E. van Donzel, B. Lewis and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by C. Dumont, G.R. Hawting and M. Paterson (pp. 1-256); — C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, B. Lewis and Ch. Pellat, Assisted by C. Dumont and M. Paterson (pp. 257-768); — Assisted by F.Th. Dijkema, M. Lefort and S. Nurit (pp. 769-1188).

3. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume III (H-Iram)
Edited by B. Lewis, V.L. Ménage, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht, Assisted by C. Dumont, E. van Donzel and G.R. Hawting

2. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume 2 Volume II (C-G)
Edited by B. Lewis, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht. Assisted by J. Burton-Page, C. Dumont and V.L. Ménage

1. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume I (A-B)
Edited by an Editorial Committee Consisting of H.A.R. Gibb, J.H. Kramers, E. Lévi-Provençal, J. Schacht, Assisted by S.M. Stern (pp. 1-320); — B. Lewis, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht, Assisted by C. Dumont and R.M. Savory (pp. 321-1359).

. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Encyclopaedia of Islam (set comprising Volumes I-XII, Indices, An Historical Atlas of Islam)

. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Index of Proper Names
Compiled by Emeri van Donzel, assisted by Nathalie van Donzel. Edited by Ronald E. Kon with assistance of Jelle Bruning, Joep Lameer, Hans van der Meulen, Abdurraouf Oueslati

. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Glossary and Index of Terms

. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Index of Subjects
Compiled by P.J. Bearman

. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Index Volume
Edited by P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs

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