Ibn Saffār and the Development of Islamic Astronomy in Andalusia: Finding Qibla Direction in Kitāb al-‘amal bi-l-asṭurlāb and Balāta Sundial (at the Cordova Museum)

Ibn Saffār(370-426 AH), was an Andalusian Muslim astronomer and mathematician who authored several works on astronomy and also constructed the oldest-Sundial of Andalusia called Balāta To determine the time of prayer in noon and possibly afternoon. Since the Qibla is one of the sacred symbols of Islam, which has been at the center of Muslim attention for the centuries, finding the Qibla was especially important for this Muslim scholar. The question is how and in what way the qibla and the distance between Andalusia and Mecca have been obtained in the most famous work of Ibn Saffār, the Kitāb al-‘amal bi-l-asṭurlāb and also what were the characteristics of his “Balata” sundial?  To study this subject, it is necessary to know the mathematical methods in finding the Qibla as well as the sundials.The authors of the present paper  focus on Kitāb al-‘amal bi-l-asṭurlāb and also Balata sundial discuss about Ibn Saffar's role in the Andalusian astronomy and finding Qibla direction and determination of noon time there and based on the newly found chapters of her treatise, it has been concluded that he set the Cordoba qibla in the southeast direction and at an angle of 30 degrees to the rising sun during the winter solstice. The influence of this Astronomer from his master, “Maslama al‐Majrīṭī” (398 AH) and his attention to Kharazim's zīj, which was influenced by Zīj al-Sindhind and as well as Ptolemy's Geography indicates his reliance on Iranian, Indian and Greek sciences.