Latest / Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History
Timbuktu's Islamic Astronomy Innovations
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Timbuktu's sophisticated tradition of Islamic astronomy, focusing on the 17th-century scholar Muhammad al-Wangari and his work Mir'at al-'Alam. They discuss how West African scholars adapted tools like the astrolabe and torquetum, calculated lunar eclipses, and integrated astronomy with Maliki fiqh for prayer times and Ramadan. The episode highlights specific instruments, techniques, and the scholarly network connecting Timbuktu to Fez and Cairo. It also addresses the legacy of these astronomers and the manuscripts that survive today at…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.