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Isfahan Observatory

The Isfahan Observatory (also known as Malikshah Observatory) was an astronomical observatory. It was built in 1074 in Isfahan, the capital of the Seljuk Empire at the time. Little is known about the research done at the observatory because of the lack of available evidence known to date, but the two main purposes that scholars do know are the creation of the Maliki Calendar and Zij Malikshah. The observatory was in use for approximately twenty years until its demise in 1092.

History

In 1073, Sultan Malikshah invited Omar Khayyam to be the director of the observatory. Omar was a Persian mathematician, poet, and astronomer renowned for his work in the area. After completion of the observatory in 1074, Khayyam and all the other personnel went to work. There is little doubt Khayyam played a large role in accomplishing the many steps of improvement to modern day society and of their time. Their work influenced astronomers for years to come and became the building blocks for what we know today.

Maliki Calendar

Around 1079, Khayyam proposed a reform of the Persian calendar that was in use. After approximately five years, the new calendar was formed from within the walls of the observatory. According to the new calendar, "the average time for a standard year was 365.2424 days", thus an extra day every 5000 years. This was an improvement from the many other calendars out there. It was calculated to be .0002 deviations from the actual solar calendar. To this day, this calendar is still in use and is considered more accurate than the standard calendar used in the United States.

Zij Malikshah

A zij is an astronomical text tabulating information on the apparent positions and motions of the sun, moon, planets, and stars. At the observatory, they mapped and observed the natural motions of one-hundred bright stars in the sky. This data was the key to their success in forming the Zij. In honor of Sultan Malikshah, he named their work the Zij Malikshah.

Instruments Used

There is not a lot known of the instruments used at the observatory, but it can be concluded they would be similar to the pieces of the time period. Including the Astrolabe, Celestial sphere, Cosmolabe, Nebra sky disk and many others. These instruments were very accurate for the little technology available and helped greatly on their journey to the outside world.

Demise

In 1092, Vizier Nizam_al-Mulk was assassinated by an assassin on his way from Isfahan to Baghdad. Later in the same year, Sultan Malik-Shah_I died on a hunting trip most likely by being poisoned. With the two main influences over the observatory gone, it became hard for the observatory to keep funding. This caused the push for innovation to stop. Without these essentials, the demise was immediate.

Today

Today the observatory is still in its original place in Isfahan. The majority of the structures and instruments have been torn down or have been damaged by natural conditions, but steps to preserve what still stands have been put into place. To this day, people can go and tour the grounds where the observatory used to be fully functional.

Conclusion

The Isfahan observatory was a pivotal point in not only Islamic astronomy, but astronomy in general. The improvement of the calendar in the Maliki Calendar and the creation to of the Zij Malikshah were the two studies that ingrained the Isfahan Observatory in history. To this day, many people still cherish the importance of the observatory and will continue to pass it down.