The Astrolabe, East and West

Astrolabes were used in cultures rooted in religious faith and they reflect the sacred character of the cosmos. Examples from Christendom may have calendars with saints' days, and times of prayer were important for Christians and Muslims, but it was in Islam that the astrolabe was particularly adapted to religious observance. It could be used to find the five times of daily prayer and the sacred direction or 'Qibla', so that the faithful could face towards Mecca in prayer. The astrolabe's traditional role in religious observance may explain why it continued to be made and used much later in Islam than in the West. 

Gift to a mosque

An inscription on the back tells us that this instrument was a gift to a mosque in Fez. Inside the mater is a perpetual calendar for the Muslim and Christian years.

Astrolabe, by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Battuti, North African, 1733/4 (Inv. 51459)

An inscription on the back tells us that this instrument was a gift to a mosque in Fez. Inside the mater is a perpetual calendar for the Muslim and Christian years.

Times of prayer
 
Curved lines in the top right quadrant of the back of this astrolabe give the times for the beginning and end of the afternoon prayer in the Muslim observance. Inside the mater (not shown) is a gazetteer of the longitude and latitude of 77 places.

Astrolabe, by Muhammad Muqim, Lahore, c.1650 (Inv. 37530)

Astrolabe, by Muhammad Muqim, Lahore, c.1650 (Inv. 37530)