28.08.2025
Al-Jazari was a famous scientist, engineer, and inventor who lived in the 12th century. His full name was Abū al-ʿIz Ibn Ismāʿīl Ibn al-Razzāz al-Jazarī. He is known as the founder of robotics science because he built smart machines that could move and work on their own. Even today, his work inspires people in engineering and automation. His inventions show how advanced Turkish-Islamic science was in his time.
The Life of Al-Jazari
Al-Jazari was born in 1136 in Anatolia, in the area that is now Mardin, Turkey. He lived during the time of the Artuqid Dynasty and worked for many years as an engineer in the palace. He was not only a scientist, but also an inventor who created useful and practical machines.
Early Works and Inventions
Al-Jazari’s most famous work is a book called Kitab al-Hiyal (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices). This book includes detailed drawings, uses, and construction steps of automatic machines and mechanical systems. In it, Al-Jazari described the designs of more than 100 different mechanical devices.
Some of His Inventions Included:
• Water clocks
• Automatic hand-washing and ablution devices
• Self-operating fountains
• Mechanical toys
• Moving human and animal figures that can be seen as early examples of robots
The Foundations of Robotics Science
Al-Jazari’s drawings and inventions are considered the foundations of modern robotics engineering. The systems he developed, such as gears, crankshafts, and automatic control mechanisms, helped shape the basic principles of how machines work today. His focus on automatic control systems, in particular, makes him a historical pioneer of technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics.
Al-Jazari’s Contribution to Science
Al-Jazari did more than just solve the problems of his time, he also introduced a forward-looking vision that shaped the future. His work influenced engineering developments in Europe during the Renaissance period. For this reason, he holds a special place both in the Turkish-Islamic world and in global scientific history.
In conclusion, Al-Jazari was a scientist whose impact reached far beyond his own era. Being recognized as a pioneer of robotics is no coincidence; his mechanical systems laid the groundwork for modern engineering. This brilliant mind from the Turkish-Islamic tradition continues to inspire engineers and researchers even today.