Al-Jazari

Known for

Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices (1206): clocks, pumps and automata

Biography

Engineer at the Artuqid court in Diyarbakir (in today's Turkey) for about 25 years.

Contributions

• Described about 50 machines with construction drawings, including the famous elephant clock
• Designed water-raising machines, including one using a crank-and-connecting-rod system
• Built programmable automata such as musical robots and a hand-washing machine
• Used segmental gears, camshafts and valves

Major works

• Kitab fi Ma'rifat al-Hiyal al-Handasiya (Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices)