In a step that reflects Al-Azhar Al-Sharif’s keenness to preserve the Islamic heritage, His Eminence Professor Dr. Muhammad Al-Duwaini, Undersecretary of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, held a meeting at Al-Azhar Mosque to inaugurate the project to revive the Al-Azhar Mosque’s sundial, in the presence of Dr. Mahmoud Al-Hawari, Assistant Secretary for Religious Call and Media at the Islamic Research Academy, Dr. Hani Odeh, Director of Al-Azhar Mosque, and an elite group of astronomy specialists.
During the meeting, the Undersecretary of Al-Azhar listened to a detailed explanation from astronomers about The history of the establishment of the sundial and its working mechanism, and how more than 150 sundials were seized in the Islamic world based on the calculations of the sundial of Al-Azhar Mosque. The meeting also discussed ways to enhance the historical and scientific role of Al-Azhar in serving human knowledge.
For his part, Dr. stressed. Mahmoud Al-Hawari stressed the importance of integrating religious and Sharia sciences with experimental sciences, explaining that Al-Azhar is not far from astronomy. The sundial of the Al-Azhar Mosque that currently exists was used to know the times of prayer, and thus it determined the times of lessons and lectures at Al-Azhar Mosque. The ancient Azharites were fully aware of the Sharia and Islamic sciences. Astronomy and others, thus combining religious sciences with worldly sciences.
It is worth noting that the sundial – the sundial – of Al-Azhar Mosque, is an astronomical instrument. Made of marble, through which the time of the day is determined, by reflecting the sun’s rays on it to know the direction of the shadow. The Al-Azhar Mosque includes two sundials, one of which is on the western façade of the Al-Azhar Mosque’s courtyard, and it remains to this day, and the other was installed on the roof of the mosque until it was moved to Stores of the Ministry of Antiquities. They were presented by the Ottoman Minister Ahmed Pasha Kor, the governor of Egypt, in the year 1163 AH/1749 AD for the purpose of determining the times for the noon and afternoon prayers, and determining the dates of Lectures by Al-Azhar scholars and student lessons.
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