Ismail al-Jazari

c. 1136 – c. 1206

Ismail al-Jazari (c. 1136 - c. 1206) was a Muslim polymath, mechanical engineer, and inventor who served the Artuqid dynasty in Diyarbakir, Upper Mesopotamia. He is best known for his Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, completed in 1206, which describes fifty mechanical devices including the famous elephant clock and early crankshaft-driven pumps.

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Life events

Born in the Jazira region of Upper Mesopotamia
c. 1136

Ismail al-Jazari was born around 1136 in the Jazira region, from which his name derives.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Entered service of the Artuqid dynasty as chief engineer at the Artuklu Palace
c. 1174

Around 1174 al-Jazari began serving the Artuqid rulers of Diyarbakir as chief engineer, a post his father had held before him.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Served three successive Artuqid rulers over roughly 25 years
c. 1174 – c. 1206

Al-Jazari served Nur al-Din Muhammad, Qutb al-Din Sukman, and Nasir al-Din Mahmud as court engineer in Diyarbakir.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Commissioned by Sultan Nasir al-Din Mahmud to document his mechanical inventions
c. 1198

His Artuqid patron ordered al-Jazari to record the ingenious devices he had built, prompting the composition of his famous treatise.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Other ✓
Designed the elephant clock, an elaborate water-powered automaton clock
c. 1200

The elephant clock, described in his treatise, combined Indian, Chinese, Greek, and Islamic elements and is among his most celebrated devices.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Developed the double-acting reciprocating suction pump with crankshaft-connecting rod mechanism
c. 1200

Al-Jazari's water-raising machines included an early crank-driven suction pump, a landmark in the history of mechanical engineering.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Completed The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices
1206

In 1206 al-Jazari finished his illustrated treatise describing fifty mechanical devices with instructions for their construction.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in Diyarbakir
c. 1206

Al-Jazari is believed to have died around 1206, shortly after completing his treatise.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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