Al-Jazari’s Castle Water Clock: Analysis of its Components and Functioning

By Professor Salim T. S. Al-Hassani*

Introduction

The castle water clock is one of the grandest clocks mentioned in al-Jazari's book. Details of its construction and operation have been described quite explicitly at the beginning of Al-Jami ‘ bayn al-‘ilm wa ‘l-‘amal al-nafi ‘ fi sina ‘at al-hiyal (A Compendium on the Theory and Useful Practice of the Mechanical Arts). The first chapter of Category I of the treatise devotes to this detailed description ten sections [1]. We follow in our study of al-Jazari's device his own narrative, but our description given below is not concerned with exact details of its construction but concerned with how components are linked with each other and with the purpose of the clock and its functioning. The analysis thus provided is conceived to accompany computer animations; it is also an interpretation of the clock's appearance to viewers and a study of its internal workings. Further, basic notes on the clock's operating system have been provided to aid understanding of components and some are referenced to technical drawings found at the end.

Figure 1: Manuscript view of the castle clock. Source: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Egyptian manuscript, Mamluk period, Accession number: 14.533 (ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 39.37 x 27.62 cm).(Source)

Table of contents
Introduction

1. Clock's Appearance
2. How it Works: Mechanism of the Castle Clock
3. Servicing and Maintenance
4. Notes on Construction
5. Appendix: Different Line Drawings and Views of the Computer Assisted Reconstruction of the Castle Clock

Acknowledgement

This research would have not been possible without the hard work of my students, especially Miss Wai Yin Chang and Mr. Jonathan W. B. Chang, who assisted in the research work for FSTC as part of their research project at the University of Manchester.

Bibliography and References

• Al-Hassan, Ahmad Y., and Hill, Donald R., Islamic Technology. An Illustrated History. Paris/Cambridge: UNESCO/Cambridge University Press, 1986. French translation: Sciences et techniques en islam (Paris: Edifra, 1991).
• Al-Hassani, Salim, Muslim Engineer : Al-Jazari.
• Al-Hassani, Salim, Al-Jazari: the Mechanical Genius (2001).
• Al-Hassani, Salim, The Machines of Al-Jazari and Taqi Al-Din (2004).
• Al-Jazari, The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices: Kitáb fí ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya, translated by D. R.. Hill. Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1974.
• Al-Jazari, al-, Al-Jami' bayn al-‘ilm wa 'l-‘amal al-nafi' fi sina'at al-hiyal. Edited by Ahmad Y. al-Hassan. Aleppo: Institute for the History of Arabic Science, 1979.
• Kumarasvami, Ananda K. The Treatise of Al-Jazari on Automata: Leaves from a Manuscript of the Kitab fi Ma'arifat al-Hiyal al-Handasiya in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Elsewhere. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1924 (Communications to the trustees, VI).
• Hariri, F. 1997. Study and Analysis of the Water Machines in the book entitled ‘A Compendium of the Theory and Practice of the Mechanical Arts by al-Jazari'. Applying Modern systems on Control Engineering. Master Thesis. Aleppo: Aleppo University (in Arabic), 1997.

End Notes

[1] Al-Jazari, The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices: Kitâb fî ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya, English translation and introductions by Donald R.. Hill, Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1974, pp. 17-41.
* Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation, Chairman of the board; Emeritus professor at the University of Manchester, UK.
by: Professor Salim T. S. Al-Hassani, Thu 13 March, 2008

Source : http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=899