Ulugh Beg Observatory
Samarkand unknown to most was once the hub for advanced studies in mathematics and astronomy and the one fore fronting with it was Ulugh Beg who was then the ruler of Samarkand and the grandson of Timur. Ulugh Beg built the first Observatory in this region which was instrumental in the study of stars, the sun, and the moon. The most remarkable achievement was the exact calculation of a solar year.
History Of Ulugh Beg Observatory
Some might say Ulugh Beg was a disgrace to his family considering that his grandfather the famous Timur had conquered land far and wide while he was busy looking at the stars of the night sky. Timur never wanted him to be the emperor in the first place, with the death of Ulugh’s brother Muhammad Sultan who was set to take to throne after Timur and then the death of Timur himself a few years later the throne came to Ulugh Beg. Shah Rukh who was Ulugh Beg’s father even though was alive chose to rule from Herat while Ulugh Beg ruled from Samarkand.
Ulugh Beg was never meant to be a true leader and chose his path of education, development, and discovery in the fields of astronomy and mathematics. He built the madrasa which one can still see at the Registan Square in Samarkand keeping in mind his love for science.
He was an ardent astronomer and during his lifetime he wanted to catalog stars for this he built his observatory in Samarkand. He was successful in building this around 1428 – 1429 and at that time this observatory had some remarkable instruments. This building was called Gurkhani Zij.
This newly constructed building was nearly 30 meters in height and had a diameter of 46.4 meters. This place housed one of the largest marble quadrants with which he along with other scholars would manage to track 1018 stars which he had catalogued in a book called Zij-i Sultani.
The next big achievement came when for the first time a whole solar year could be counted and interpreted as 365 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes, and 8 seconds. Some would argue that it is incorrect but in reality, the difference in calculation was merely 1 minute and 2 seconds. They managed to do the calculation at a time and age when there were no other references so what they came up with was pioneering.
Not only the sun but the moon was also studied and he along with his team would be able to predict solar eclipses and the phases of the moon.
Unfortunately, things were not quite right when it came to the administration of the region and after the death of his father Shah Rukh, he was unable to secure himself as the true successor. There were failures when it came to the battle of succession and ultimately it was his son Abdal-Latif Mirza who had defeated him in a battle and had to surrender. Later on, be murdered by him when Ulugh Beg was traveling to Mecca for pilgrimage in 1449.
After his death, the observatory was ransacked and no further discoveries were carried out in terms of astronomy by his son. The observatory had just managed to survive for 20 years.
The observatory was forgotten in time only to be discovered in 1908 when the Russians were excavating the areas around Samarkand. Archaeologist Vassily Lavrentyevich Vyatkin managed to excavate the top of a small hillock and found what reams of the marble quadrant below the ground. Only 11 meters were left to be seen.
What To See At Ulugh Beg Observatory
At the base of the small hillock, you will see a huge statue of Ulugh Beg with a brilliant blue backdrop representing the stars of the universe. Once you climb to the top you will first be greeted with a new building which is the museum. This museum houses paintings, copies of the documents, and models of different instruments that were used by Ulugh Beg and his team.
The star attraction of this place is the remains of the quadrant which is located below the ground. This section has been covered with a dome to protect what remains of the marble stone blocks making the quadrant.
Location Of Ulugh Beg Observatory On Map
Other Blogs On Samarkand
Registan Square
Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum
Tomb of Saint Daniel, Samarkand