The last quarter of the 16th century saw the establishment of an observatory in Istanbul. The founder was the Ottoman astronomer Taqi-al-din (d. 1585) who started celestial observations with the aim of improving the astronomical tables (zij) of Ulugh Beg of Samarkand. The present text is the Turkish translation of “Das Observatorium des Taqi-ed-din zu Pera” published in Der Islam (Berlin) in 1923, by J.H. Mordtmann, German orientalist and diplomat. The article brings together the information found in European and Ottoman sources regarding the observatory and presents the licence given by Sultan Murad III to Taqi al-din, entrusting him with the foundation of the observatory.
The last quarter of the 16th century saw the establishment of anobservatory in Istanbul. The founder was the Ottoman astronomer Taqi-al-din(d. 1585) who started celestial observations with the aim of improving theastronomical tables (zij) of Ulugh Beg of Samarkand. The present text is theTurkish translation of “Das Observatorium des Taqi-ed-din zu Pera” publishedin Der Islam (Berlin) in 1923, by J.H. Mordtmann, German orientalist anddiplomat. The article brings together the information found in European andOttoman sources regarding the observatory and presents the licence given bySultan Murad III to Taqi al-din, entrusting him with the foundation of theobservatory.