thumb|work in the observatorium of taqi ad-din the istanbul observatory of taqi ad-din, founded in istanbul by taqi ad-din muhammad ibn ma'ruf in 1577, was one of the largest astronomical observatories to be built in the islamic world. however, it only existed for a few years before it was destroyed in 1580. ==history== in 1574, murad iii became the sultan of the ottoman empire. the empire's chief astronomer, taqi ad-din, petitioned the sultan to finance the building of a great observatory to rival ulugh beg's samarkand observatory. the sultan approved, and construction was completed in 1577,john morris roberts, the history of the world, pp. 264-74, oxford university press, isbn 978-0-19-521043-9 at nearly the same time as tycho brahe's observatory at uraniborg. this observatory consisted of two large structures perched on a hill overlooking the european section of istanbul and offering a wide view of the night sky. much like a modern institution, the main building was reserved for the library and the living quarters of the staff, while the smaller building housed a collection of instruments built by taqi ad-din. these included a giant armillary sphere and an accurate mechanical astronomical clock for measuring the position and speed of the planets. with these instruments, taqi ad-din had hoped to update the old astronomical tables describing the motion of the planets, sun, and moon. the observatory did not survive to advance the development of astronomy in the muslim world. within months of the observatory's completion, a comet with an enormous tail appeared in the sky and sultan murad iii demanded a prognostication about it from his astronomer. "working day and night without food and rest" taqi ad-din studied the comet and came up with the prediction that it was "an indication of well-being and splendor," and would mean a "conquest of persia". unfortunately, instead of well-being a devastating plague followed in some parts of the empire, and several important persons died.arabs and astronomy, written by paul lunde and zayn bilkadi saudi aramco world, january february 1986 taqi ad-din was able to carry on his observations for a few more years but eventually opponents of the observatory and prognostication from the heavens prevailed and the observatory was destroyed in 1580. other sources give the "rise of a clerical faction," which opposed or at least was indifferent to science,islamic technology: an illustrated history by ahmad y. al-hassan and donald hill, cambridge university press, 1986, p.282 and specifically to "the recommendation of the chief mufti" of the ottomans, as the explanation for the destruc
1577_establishments 1580_disestablishments 16th_century_in_the_Ottoman_Empire Astronomical_observatories_in_Turkey Astronomical_observatories_of_medieval_Islam Buildings_and_structures_of_the_Ottoman_Empire History_of_Istanbul Ottoman_culture