Latest / Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History
The Timbuktu Scholar Who Calculated the Qibla
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable life and work of Muhammad al-Mustafa al-Wangari, a 17th-century Timbuktu scholar who wrote a mirror of the universe. They discuss his major work, Mīr'āt al-Ālam, a massive astronomical and geographical encyclopedia that calculated the qibla direction and charted the stars from the Sahel. They explore how Sankore scholars used astrolabes and Islamic astronomy to solve practical problems like prayer times and sacred direction, and how al-Wangari's work fits into a broader tradition of African science. The…
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