Sign in to create personalized posters and printable learning resources.

← All pioneers
Engineering & technology

Al-Jazarī

Also found as Jazari

Al-Jazari designed automatic machines, including clocks and handwashing devices.

Image used in the research archive for Al-Jazari
Image used by the research archive for Al-Jazari. Historical illustrations are later interpretations, not verified likenesses. View image source
MADE TO KEEP & SHARE

Posters

Loading posters…

The clock that ran on water

Ages 7–9

Al-Jazari designed automatic machines, including clocks and handwashing devices.

His book described 50 mechanical devices, including water clocks.

Al-Jazari designed a water clock in the shape of an elephant. A drawing of the design survives in a manuscript.

1001 Inventions describes moving figures in the Elephant Clock.

PAUSE & WONDER

What could you build to help someone at home?

Try an activity

Find Al-Jazari in our books

Use the printed page in a physical book, or the PDF page in your copy. Open a reference for the surrounding text.

Lost Islamic History

Firas Alkhateeb

1 reading location

Printed p. 93 PDF p. 109Reading page

“…In the twelfth century , a Muslim inventor, al-Jazari, designed and built numerous automatic machines. Among them were automatic handwashing systems, clocks and even musical robots powered by water.…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.

1001 Inventions

Edited by Salim T. S. al-Hassani

13 reading locations

Printed p. 7 PDF p. 10Reading page

“….. . An illustration from Al-Jazari' s The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices depict s a robot that serves drinks. The writing at right describes how the device…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 15 PDF p. 18Reading page

“…Water-Raising Machine Al-jazari (early 13th century) AI-Jazari's greatest legacy is the application of the crank and connecting-rod system, which transmits rotary motion into linear motion. His machines…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 17 PDF p. 20Reading page

“…one type of device invented by 13thcentury engineer Al-Jazari. As early as the 14th century, large quantities of spices came to Europe from Egypt and Syria. And drinking coffee flourished across the Muslim…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 18 PDF p. 21Reading page

“…shaped the way we live toda y. OPPOSITE: Al-Jazari designed a water-powered Elephant Clock in the 13th century, reconstructed for the 1001 Inventions exhibition.…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 19 PDF p. 22Reading page

“…The librarian is revealed to be 13th-century polymath Al-Jazari. food production in early Muslim civilization, as crops and the knowledge to grow them spread far and wide-including growing peaches, aubergines, and oranges in…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 29 PDF p. 32Reading page

“…Europe in his book Liber Abaci . 1206 Al-Jazari completes his Book of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. 1210 Ibn al-Naf:ts is born. He was a scholar of jurisprudence and doctor who was f:trst to…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 42 PDF p. 45Reading page

“…13th-century water clocks and an ingenious man called Al-Jazari from Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey. He was a pious Muslim and a highly skilled engineer who gave birth to the concept of automatic machines.…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 43 PDF p. 46Reading page

“…to patie nce." QURAN (10 3) By 1206, Al-Jazari had made numerous clocks of all shapes and sizes while he was working for the Artuq kings of Diyarbakir . Then-king Nasir al-Din said…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 50 PDF p. 53Reading page

“…century there was an outstanding mechanical engineer called Al-Jazari who wrote a book called The Book of Kn owledge of In genious Mechanical Devices, including robotic wudhu machines. One elaborate machine, resembling a…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 121 PDF p. 124Reading page

“…13th·century manuscript depict two waterraising machines designed by Al-Jazari. Water-raising machines are driven by a water turbine through geared shafts, which turn a sindi wheel ca rrying a long belt of buckets. Al-Jazari…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 122 PDF p. 125Reading page

“…such an enormous impact on civilization toda y. Al-Jazari lived in southeast Turkey in the late 12th and early �3th centuries, and was employed by the Artuqid king of Diyarbakir around 1180 .…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 304 PDF p. 307Reference feature

“…eyewitnesses left to us in numerous documents. • Al-Jazari FuLL NAME: Badi'al-Zaman Abu al-'Izz Isma'il b al-Razzaz al-Jazari BORN: Birth date not known; he served the Artuq kings of Diyarbakir (now in southeast…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
Printed p. 315 PDF p. 318Biographical entry

“…( ca 776-868); Basra, Iraq; philosopher and zoologist. Al-Jazari, Badi'al-Zaman Abu al-'Izz Isma'il b alRazzaz (early 13th centur y); Diyarbakir, Turkey; engineer. Al-Jurjani, Abu Ruh Muhammad ibn Mansur ibn Abdullah ( ca 1088);…”

Text around a matching name in the supplied edition. Extraction may retain spelling or spacing errors.
FROM THE RESEARCH ARCHIVE

Follow the research

Documented mechanical devices, automata, clocks, and water-powered mechanisms in his book on ingenious machines.

This summary comes from the collected Islamic Scientific Heritage posts. It has not been independently verified in full. A book name match alone does not confirm every claim in a post.

37 original research posts

A new pioneer, in your inbox.

A thoughtful read for grown-ups. Ideas to bring home to your family.

Choose your pace