User:Jpegthebitmap/Maragheh observatory

-Generally revise and improve overall workflow of the article; the tone of much of the article is too casual, some of it seems opinionated, and some sentences could be combined, rewritten, or otherwise improved.

-Place citation requests where necessary; possibly provide them or contradict and remove/revise uncited statements.

-Additional information on the prominent astronomers/natural philosophers who worked there.

-More information and/or emphasis on the large mural quadrant that was the central feature of the observatory; also explore some other tools/instruments known to have been used

-If you are citing your works, is there any point in also saying sources in the text? (First three sentences of History section; ask Dr. Sheppard.

-Hulagu Khan section: is it even necessary? Seems like too large of a divergence. Possibly cannibalize parts of that section to explain the founding story of the observatory in more detail in the History section.

=Cannibalize Hulagu Khan section and integrate necessary details into History section.

-Clean up History section in particular; lots of awkward sentences

-Add more images/wikimedia etc.

-More information or list of works produced at the observatory

Revisions; Old Sentence(s) Followed by New One(s)
// (-) generally indicates the original text, while (=) indicates replacement text or other proposed changes. If they are together, there is no base text I'm sourcing in particular.

-The construction of the observatory began in 1259. Construction lasted a total of three years. (first two sentences of History)

=Construction of the observatory began in 1259 and lasted three years.

-Ulugh-Bey used its extravagant size and such practical use that he established an observatory at Samarqand in the 14th century with similar scaling.[citation is needed here and missing] (end of Description)

=The size, extravagance, and effectiveness of the observatory impressed Ulugh-Bey such that he established a similar observatory in Samarqand in the 14th century [citation needed].

-The Ulugh- Bey observatory was in turn used as the blue print for more early day European observatories as well such as Kepler. (end of description)

=Ulugh-Bey's observatory was in turn used as a model for even some European observatories, such as Kepler's.

-There were multiple buildings constructed at the observatory site including a main building and five circular buildings containing observational instruments for astronomical research. Living quarters were also present on the site as well as a building for metalworking. There was also a 330 m2 building that was used as the library. (top of Description)

=The observatory complex was composed of a main building, five circular buildings containing observational instruments, living quarters, a metalworking shop, and a library. *Further in section, a tower is mentioned?

-Al-Tusi developed many astronomical theories, but failed to carry them to completion due to a lack of a workspace and resources. (near top of History) [lacking citation]

-When the Mongols started to overtake their land, al-Tusi plead to Hulagu. He stated that with the necessary equipment, he could tell the future. This played into Hulagu's superstitions and was permitted to play this dream into reality. He acted as an advisor to Hulagu, a grandchild of Genghis Khan. (first paragraph of History)

=When the invading Mongols conquered the land Al-Tusi inhabited, al-Tusi sought to persuade Hulagu Khan, grandchild of Genghis Khan, to sponsor his studies. He supposedly preyed on Hulagu's superstitious nature by stating he could predict the future [citation needed]. Al-Tusi became the Khan's advisor.

-Tusi complained to Hulagu that his astronomical tables had to be adapted to the latitude and longitude of Hulagu's new capital. Hulagu gave Tusi permission to build a new observatory in the location of his choosing, and Tusi chose Maragha, Iran, where he became the director of the observatory. (first paragraph History)

=When al-Tusi told Hulagu that his astronomical tables would have to be adapted to the latitude and longitude of the Khan's new capital, Hulagu gave al-Tusi permission and resources to build a new observatory in a location of his choosing. Al-Tusi chose a location near the city of Maragha (or Maragheh) in modern day Iran, and became the first director of the observatory.

-Scholars in attendance included Bar-Hebraeus, who late in his life took residence close to the observatory in order to use the library for his studies. He has left a description of the observatory. (end first paragraph History)

=Given it lists several other prominent figures from the observatory in the next sentence, this is all out of place.

-= the next two paragraphs in History are all kinds of wacky and need to be consolidated into one (second and third paragraphs, History)

-The downturn of the Maragheh Observatory began in the 13th century. After the death of Tusi in 1274 his son took over as director. However, with the death of Hulagu in 1265 and his son Abaqa in 1282, the observatory no longer had patrons to fund the research being conducted. (4th paragraph History)

=The Maragheh Observatory began a gradual decline in the late 13th century. After al-Tusi's death in 1274, his son took over directorship. However, with the death of Hulagu in 1265 and his son in 1282, the observatory had lost the Khanate's patronage, and ran out of funding.

-Shah Abbas the Great arranged for repair; however, this was not commenced due to the king's early death. (4th paragraph History) [missing citation]

-During the Mongol invasions and conquests in this region, the contents of the observatory's library were stolen. (5th paragraph History)

=//The Mongols were the ones who funded the establishment of the observatory in the first place, and I have found no indication that the Ilkhanate lost this territory. This statement alone makes no sense.

-The remains inspired Ulugh Beg to construct his observatory in Samarkand in 1428. Hulagu's older brother, Khublai Khan, also constructed an observatory, the Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory in China. (end of History)

=//The first sentence is already covered in the Description section and the second sentence is irrelevant to the Maragha observatory.

-The observatory is currently covered with a brass dome and is situated two miles west of Maragheh. To save the installation from further destruction, the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran built a dome-framed shelter and it plans to hold an exhibit of astronomical devices used at Maragheh Observatory. (Current Status)

=The first sentence repeats the second.

Article Draft
Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Urdi tracked 3 lunar eclipses while at the Maragheh observatory, which he then compared to Ptomely's observations of lunar eclipses to calculate the average lunar longitudinal, anomalous, and retrograde motions.

Article body
HISTORY

Background and pre-Mongol Conquest
The region of Alamut was previously held by the Nizaris, a sect of Twelver Shia Islam also referred to as the Assassins or Hashashins.

Hulagu Khan
Main article: Mongol campaign against the NizarisHulagu Khan was a Mongol ruler and the grandson of Genghis Khan. As the Mongols expanded their territory Hulagu was put it charge of conquering Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Syria, and the Abbasid Caliphate, the territory that would become the Ilkhanate. From 1253 to 1256, Hulagu and his army were waging a campaign of conquest against the Nizaris in the Iranian region of Alamut. In 1256, the Mongols took the Alamut castle, where al-Tusi and several other scholars had taken refuge to continue their studies. However, there is dispute over whether or not al-Tusi was held by the Nizaris against his will, or even assisted the Mongols in their attack.

Hulagu respected al-Tusi for his scholarship in science and decided to appoint him as a wazir (vizier). Hulagu and his men, along with al-Tusi, then went to Baghdad where the city was laid to waste. He also placed him in charge of waqfs, a type of religious endowments. Prior to 1259, al-Tusi spoke to Hulagu about the need for new astronomy tables. The Khan responded by authorizing the funding and construction of the Maragheh observatory, and later made Maragheh the capital of the Ilkhanate.

Construction and Establishment
The construction of the observatory began in 1259, and lasted a total of three years. This is according to multiple books including Jam-e-ttavarikhe rashidi (Persian: جامع التواريخ رشيدي), saf-e-elhofreh (Persian: صاف الحفره), and favat-o-lvafiyyat (Persian: فوات الوفيات) The observatory was founded by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, a Persian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. Al-Tusi developed many astronomical theories, but failed to carry them to completion due to a lack of dedicated facilities. When the Mongols invaded modern day Iran, al-Tusi plead to Hulagu Khan, grandchild of Genghis Khan and Khan of the Ilkhanate. Al-Tusi stated that with the necessary equipment, he could tell the future. This played into Hulagu Khan's superstitions, al-Tusi was permitted to make this dream into reality. Al-Tusi complained to Hulagu that his astronomical tables had to be adapted to the latitude and longitude of Hulagu's new capital. Hulagu gave al-Tusi permission to build a new observatory in the location of his choosing, and al-Tusi chose the town of

Maragha in modern day Iran. Men of mathematics, science, and astronomy came to the Maragheh Observatory from across the Islamic world and further. According to texts recovered from the observatory, the site had a reputation so widespread it had reached as far as China as students had traveled to study mathematics, physics, and astronomy. Evidence has been found to suggest a major focus on education; student oriented texts have been discovered that offer introductions to mathematical astronomy and astronomical tables. Scholars in attendance included Bar-Hebraeus, who late in his life took residence close to the observatory in order to use the library for his studies. He has left a description of the observatory.

A number of other prominent astronomers worked with Tusi at the observatory, such as Muhyi al-Din al-Maghribi, Mu'ayyid al-Din al-'Urdi, from Damascus, Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, and Hulagu's Chinese astronomer Fao Munji, whose Chinese astronomical experience brought improvements to the Ptolemaic system used by Tusi.

After 12 years of intense work by al-Tusi and other scientists, including Mu’yed al-Din al-Arad-Najmedin Cathy, Najmd al-Din Qazvini, Allame Qutbuddin Shirazi, and Fakhruddin Maraghi, the tables were compiled in the Zij-i Ilkhani. The tables were published during the reign of Abaqa Khan, Hulagu's son, and were named after the patron of the observatory.

Decline and Legacy
The decline of the Maragheh observatory began in the 13th century. After the death of al-Tusi in 1274, his son took over as director. The observatory began to lose patronage after the deaths of Hulagu in 1265 and his son Abaqa in 1282. Over time the site turned to ruins as a result of frequent earthquakes and a lack of funding by the state to preserve the site. Shah Abbas the Great arranged for repair sometime in the early 17th century; however, this was not commenced due to the king's death. The observatory became inactive by the beginning of the 14th century, but the design of the observatory influenced several other observatories, including the Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand.

During the Mongol invasions and conquests in this region, the contents of the observatory's library were stolen.

Hulagu's older brother, Khublai Khan, also constructed an observatory, the Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory in China.

A celestial globe from the observatory made around 1279 is now preserved in Dresden, Germany. It is a rare example of decorative art from Iran of the 13th century, designed by al-Urdi and made of bronze inlaid with silver and gold.