Two manuals on the use of astronomical instruments

Mustafa ibn Ali al-Muwaqqit. Kifayet ül-vakit li-marifet il-dair ve fazlih ve semt. - Vafiyetü'l-evkat.

€ 4,500.00

An Ottoman Turkish manuscript comprising two astronomical manuals, namely on the use of the almucantar or bridged quadrant (rub' al-muqantarat) and its usage in determining time, in 12 babs (chapters), and on the use of the sine quadrant (rub' mujayyab), in 22 babs. Composed by the pioneering Ottoman astronomer 'Ibadullah Mustafa ibn 'Ali al-Muwaqqit (d. 1571), timekeeper in the mosque of Sultan Selim II (ruled 1566-74). For his works on the science of timekeeping and practical astronomy, Mustafa is considered the father of these fields in the Turkish tradition.

Binding somewhat rubbed. Light waterstaining to the wide margins as well as the gutter. On four or five pages, text is obscured by ink smudging, otherwise a fine example.

Provenance: 20th century Parisian private collection, kept in the family for several generations and dispersed in 2022.