Al-ʻIjliyyah facts for kids

Al-ʻIjliyyah bint al-ʻIjliyy was a very skilled scientist from the 10th century. She lived in Aleppo, a city in what is now northern Syria. She was famous for making astrolabes, which were important tools for studying the stars. Sometimes, people today call her Mariam al-Asṭurlābiyya. However, her real name, "Mariam," is not found in old writings about her.

Her Life and Work

Al-ʻIjliyyah was the daughter of another astrolabe maker named al-ʻIjliyy. Both she and her father learned their skills from a master astrolabe maker named Nasṭūlus. He was from Baghdad, a famous city for learning at that time.

Al-ʻIjliyyah made many astrolabes during the 900s. An astrolabe is a special tool used to measure the positions of stars and planets. It also helped people tell time and find directions.

She worked for Sayf al-Dawla, who was the first ruler, or Emir, of Aleppo. He ruled from the year 944 to 967. Not much else is known about her life. The name "Mariam" is not in any old records. Also, "al-Asturlabiyy" just means "the astrolabe maker." It was a way to describe her job, not part of her personal name.

Her Lasting Impact

Al-ʻIjliyyah's work was so important that a space rock was named after her! An asteroid, called 7060 Al-'Ijliya, was discovered in 1990. It was officially named in her honor in 2016.

She also inspired a character in a famous book called Binti, which won awards in 2015. She is seen as one of the amazing women from the Islamic Golden Age. This was a time when many great discoveries were made in science and learning.

See also

In Spanish: Mariam al-Asturlabi para niños