Ismail Al-Jazari

Ismail Al-Jazari (1136 - 1206), was an Arab Muslim scholar and polymath who lived during the Islamic Golden Age. He was born in 1136 CE in the city of Jazirat Ibn Umar, which is what gives him the title of <Al-Jazari>.He was a man of many talents; other than being a renowned scholar, he was also a skilled inventor, artist, craftsman and engineer. We don't know much about his life other than the details he provides in his books.

Ismail built many different kinds of clocks, but there was one in particular that captured the attention of all who saw it. This was the Elephant Clock, admired both for its complex mechanism and its appreciation of the Islamic civilization's cultural diversity. Timekeeping had a special role in the Muslim faith, allowing followers to more accurately know the five times for prayer in the absence of a call to prayer.