Two treatises on astrolabes

Content

Two technical treatises on the 'use of the flat northern astrolabe Ancient instrument for astronomical observations. (العمل بالأسطرلاب المسطح الشمالي)' (see f. 1r).

The title page (f. 1r) reads:

كتاب فيه رسالة بن النطاح ورسالة بن السمح

رحمهما الله تعلى (!) ورضي عنهما والقصد فيهما

معرفة العمل بالأسطرلاب المسطح الشمالي

This is followed by an endowment inscription stating that the manuscript 'has been made the inalienable property of those who are capable [of learning] (حبس على من فيه أهلية)'.

The manuscript which is not dated, was copied in maghribī script, probably in the fourteenth century. The two texts were each copied by a different scribe.

Contents:

• (1) Ibn al-Naṭṭāḥ (ابن النطاح), Treatise on the use of the astrolabe Ancient instrument for astronomical observations. (ff. 1v-24v);
• (2) Ibn al-Samḥ (ابن السمح), Kitāb al-‘amal bi-l-asṭurlāb (كتاب العمل بالأسطرلاب; ff. 25v-55v).

Extent and format

Codex A collection of pages, usually gathered into quires, and bound between covers. ; ff. i+55+i

It is grouped into

Treatise on the use of the astrolabe Ibn al-Naṭṭāḥ, Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Yaḥyá ابن النطاح، محمد بن علي بن يحيى

49 images

Ref: Add MS 9602, ff 1v-24v

Kitāb al-‘amal bi-l-asṭurlāb كتاب العمل بالأسطرلاب Ibn al-Samḥ, Aṣbagh ibn Muḥammad ابن السمح، أصبغ بن محمد

61 images

Ref: Add MS 9602, ff 25v-55v

Physical characteristics

Material: Paper

Dimensions: 255 x 193 mm leaf [written: 182 x 116 mm (ff. 1v-23v), 202 x 145 mm (ff. 24v-55v)]

Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil, Eastern Arabic foliation on verso The back of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'v'. , Eastern Arabic foliation visible on some rectos

Ruling: Misṭarah ; 16 (ff. 1v-23v), 19 (ff. 24v-55v) lines per page; vertical spacing 9 lines per 10 cm (ff. 1v-23v), 10 lines per 10 cm (ff. 24v-55v)

Script: Maghribī ; the two items in the mansucript (ff. 1v-23v and ff. 24v-55v) were copied by two different scribes

Ink: Black

Binding: British Museum binding

Condition: Waterstains, minor worm damage, ff. 1 and 55 damaged at edges and repaired

Marginalia: None in section ff. 1v-23v, very few in section ff. 24v-55v

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

Type

Manuscript

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: Oriental Manuscripts

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Add MS 9602

History of this record

Date(s)

14th century (CE, Gregorian)

Context of creation

Spain

Provenance

Endowment inscription, undated, unsigned, no place mentioned (f. 1r)

Related material

Finding aids

Cureton, William and Charles Rieu, Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum orientalium qui in Museo Britannico asservantur. Pars secunda, codices arabicos amplectens (London: The British Museum 1846-71), Item 405, p. 191

Subjects

Astrolabes--Early works to 1800Astronomy--Early works to 1800

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Cite this record in your research

Two treatises on astrolabes, British Library: Oriental Manuscripts, Add MS 9602, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100022579782.0x000001> [accessed 10 December 2023]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100022579782.0x000001

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