Museum Of The History Of Science And Technology In Islam
The Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam is a unique and historically significant institution located in Istanbul, Turkey. Situated in the Has Ahırlar Building adjacent to the Palace Wall in Gülhane Park, the museum showcases the rich scientific and technological advancements made by Muslim scholars between the 9th and 16th centuries. It was inaugurated in 2008, curated by the esteemed Islamic science historian Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin.
Exhibition and Collection
- The museum spans 3,500 square meters and features a total of 585 replicas of tools, devices, models, and miniature reconstructions.
- The replicas, most of which were produced by the Institute for the History of Arab-Islamic Sciences at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, are based on original sources. A smaller portion is directly replicated from surviving original artifacts.
- The museum’s collection covers a range of fields, including astronomy, clock technology, maritime, warfare technology, medicine, metallurgy, physics, mathematics, geometry, urban planning, architecture, optics, chemistry, and geography.
Notable Exhibits
- The museum displays models and replicas of significant inventions and works by Islamic scholars, such as El-Idrisi’s World Map based on Caliph al-Ma’mun’s map, Takiyeddin’s Mechanical Clock from 1559, Al-Jazari’s Elephant Clock and Cupping Devices, Abu Said al-Sijzi’s Planetarium, Abdurrahman al-Sufi’s celestial globe, Hıdr al-Hujendi’s Astrolabe, and Abdurrahman al-Hazini’s Water and Weight Principle-based Minute Balance.
Ibn Sina’s Botanical Garden
- In the museum’s garden, visitors can explore the Ibn Sina Botanical Garden, opened in 2013. It features 26 medicinal plants mentioned in the second volume of Ibn Sina’s “The Canon of Medicine”.
Location and Accessibility
- Address: Can Kurtaran Mah. Alemdar Cad., Has Ahırlar Building, Gülhaneparkı, Sirkeci, Istanbul.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 02125288065, 02125137214
- Opening Hours: 09:00 to 21:00, with ticket sales ending at 20:00. The museum is open daily.
- Entrance Fee: 100 TL. The museum is currently open.
While You’re There
- Visitors also have the opportunity to learn more about Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin, who devoted his life to researching Islamic science and civilization. The “Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Islamic Science History Research Foundation” within Gülhane Park encompasses an institute and library. Additionally, the historic Gülhane Fountain is nearby.
Nearby Museums
- The museum is in proximity to other significant cultural institutions in Istanbul, such as the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, the Great Palace Mosaic Museum.
