Illustrations from an Arabic Machine Manuscript – c.1700
Some fascinating inventions from a ancient Turkish polymath. Reminscant of Da Vinci; some of Ismail al-Jazari‘s diagrams are practical some are a bit fantastical. From Open Culture.
A resident of Diyar-Bakir, in modern-day Turkey, he was employed as a court engineer, and indeed, proved to be the finest engineer for which a Mesopotamian ruler of that era could hope. He worked out a variety of functional camshafts, crankshafts, pumps, fountains, and clocks, not to mention his more ambitious designs, including a host of humanoid automata meant to handle tasks like serving beverages and even playing music.
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