'Elephant clock', a fascinating invention from the Middle Ages.

About 1,000 years ago, Ismail al-Jazari invented a complex clock that is commonly known as the "elephant clock".

The design of this clock was detailed in Ismail al-Jazari's book, *The Book of Knowledge on Ingenious Mechanical Devices *. In it, the author writes: "The elephant symbolizes Indian and African culture, the two dragons represent Chinese culture, the phoenix represents Persian culture, the water feature shows Greek culture, and the turban symbolizes Islamic culture…".

Besides inventing the elephant clock, Ismail al-Jazari is also considered the "father of robotics".

Additionally, the watch features an image of Salāh ad-Dīn al-Ayyūbi, a Kurdish Muslim who liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders and founded the Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt, a figure whom Ismail al-Jazari greatly admired.

How the "elephant clock" works

According to Wikipedia , the timekeeping mechanism of this clock is based on a basin filled with water hidden inside the elephant. Inside the basin is a deep bowl floating on the water's surface, with a small hole in the center. It takes half an hour for the water to fill this hole.

As it sinks, the bowl pulls a string attached to a seesaw mechanism in the tower (on top of the elephant). This causes the ball to fall into the mouth of a snake, which then lunges forward, pulling the string and causing the bowl to rise above the water's surface.

Meanwhile, a system of wires causes a figure in the tower to raise its left or right hand, and the mahout (the elephant handler at the front) strikes a cymbal, a mechanical bird calls out, announcing that half an hour or an hour has passed. Then the snake will return to perform the next cycle.

Ismail al-Jazari's sketch of an elephant clock.

A replica of the elephant clock is located in Kasımiye Medrese, Mardin, Turkey (left), and another replica is at the Museum of Islamic Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Wikipedia, artsandculture.google.com

Another feature of the clock is its ability to record the elapsed time of temporary hours. The clock has two reservoirs. The upper reservoir is connected to the time-indicating mechanism, and the lower reservoir is connected to a flow control regulator. At dawn, the valve is opened and water flows from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir via a float regulator to maintain constant pressure in the receiving tank.

Copies of the "elephant clock"

Ahmed Salim's 1001 Inventions organization has created modern replicas of the elephant clock. Since 2006, the organization has showcased these elephant clock replicas around the world as part of its 1001 Inventions science education program .

At the Science Museum in London, in January 2010, journalist Nick Higham witnessed firsthand the elephant clock invented by 1001. The manufacturer claims this replica clock is 5 meters tall and is still functioning "spectacularly". If you visit the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, tourists can find a full-size, modern replica of the elephant clock that is still working.

A sketch of Al-Jazari's "elephant clock" from the book * Book of Knowledge on Ingenious Mechanical Devices * (left) and an image of the elephant clock at the Ibn Battuta Shopping Centre in Dubai.

Another replica of the elephant clock is on display at the Le Locle Clock Museum in the Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Additionally, there is another elephant clock at the Museum of Islamic Science and Technology of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Ismail al-Jazari (1136–1206) was a Muslim sage. He was an inventor, mechanical engineer, craftsman, painter, and mathematician from the Artuqid dynasty of Jazira in Mesopotamia. He is best known for his work, *Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* , written in 1206, which describes 50 mechanical devices along with instructions on how to build them. Besides inventing the elephant clock, al-Jazari is also considered the "father of robotics".

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