1259–1262 CE (construction and opening) / West Asia & North Africa
Maragha organizes observation and criticism of planetary models
Al-Tusi's observatory brought together instruments, observers and books while reworking planetary models within an Earth-centred framework.
The story
Construction began under Ilkhanid patronage in 1259, with operation around 1262. Al-Tusi and collaborators combined sustained observations with new geometrical arrangements, including the Tusi couple. These were not simply heliocentric models. Similarities with Copernicus raise questions of transmission but do not by themselves establish a particular route.
Connections and context
Observatories connected people and texts across regions. Similar mathematics invites historical investigation, supported by manuscripts and evidence of contact.
Dates and precision
1259–1262 CE (construction and opening) Ongoing process
The dates describe a span of activity; the timeline uses its starting point.
Representative map location
Maragha observatory area
A representative point in the observatory's archaeological area, not a claim about modern borders.
Representative coordinates · 37.4°, 46.21°
A marker identifies one representative place, such as a manuscript collection, laboratory or observing site. It does not mean the work happened only there, or assign a shared discovery to one country.
Bibliography
- University of St Andrews, MacTutor | Al-Tusi and the Maragha observatory
- University of St Andrews | Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers
References are listed as plain bibliography titles. They support particular facts or context; a reference does not certify every interpretation in a story.