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Timbuktu's Forgotten Astronomers and the Science of Space
We often think of Timbuktu as a city of scribes and merchants, but its scholars were also masters of the night sky. In this episode, we explore how Ahmad al-Maghirani and other Timbuktian astronomers used astrolabes and intricate manuscripts to calculate the qibla with astonishing precision. We look at the kiswa, the compass-like device used to determine prayer directions, and how these scientific tools were integrated into daily religious life. Through the lens of azimuth and hilal calculations, we see how West African scholars engaged with global astronomical traditions while maintaining…
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