The prince
Ulugh Beg, ruler of Samarkand in the fifteenth century, was Timur's grandson.
The Samarkand Observatory
A prince who measured the stars with a precision no one matched before the telescope — in twelve cards.
The scholar
He loved mathematics and astronomy more than kingship and gathered scholars around him.
The madrasa
He built his madrasa in the Registan square, teaching astronomy, fiqh and grammar.
The hill
On Kohak hill north of the city he built his observatory — the largest of its age.
The quadrant
A giant quadrant was set into the observatory's floor — half in the earth, half above.
The measuring
He measured the sun's and stars' heights to arc-second precision.
The astronomers
Qadi-zadeh al-Rumi, Ali al-Qushji and Jamshid al-Kashi worked beside him.
The year
He calculated the sidereal year: 365 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes, 8 seconds.
The tables
He authored the Sultan's Zij — tables of a thousand stars, their positions, ascents and distances.
The accuracy
His tables stayed the world's most accurate until Tycho Brahe, a century and a half later.
The end
He left this world at his son's command in 1449, and his observatory was razed — only the quadrant survived.
The legacy
The observatory's remains were found in 1908; the quadrant still stands in Samarkand.
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- The prince
Ulugh Beg, ruler of Samarkand in the fifteenth century, was Timur's grandson. - The scholar
He loved mathematics and astronomy more than kingship and gathered scholars around him. - The madrasa
He built his madrasa in the Registan square, teaching astronomy, fiqh and grammar. - The hill
On Kohak hill north of the city he built his observatory — the largest of its age. - The quadrant
A giant quadrant was set into the observatory's floor — half in the earth, half above. - The measuring
He measured the sun's and stars' heights to arc-second precision. - The astronomers
Qadi-zadeh al-Rumi, Ali al-Qushji and Jamshid al-Kashi worked beside him. - The year
He calculated the sidereal year: 365 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes, 8 seconds. - The tables
He authored the Sultan's Zij — tables of a thousand stars, their positions, ascents and distances. - The accuracy
His tables stayed the world's most accurate until Tycho Brahe, a century and a half later. - The end
He left this world at his son's command in 1449, and his observatory was razed — only the quadrant survived. - The legacy
The observatory's remains were found in 1908; the quadrant still stands in Samarkand.