Astronomer, Mathematician, Linguistic Scientist : ALI KUSCU

Astronomer, Mathematician, Linguistic Scientist : ALI KUSCU

    Ali Kuscu who is known for his inspiring mathematical studies, is also an important name in the field of astronomy and linguistics.

    As being an important astronomy and mathematics scholar of his time, he has lived in Samarkand in the 15th century. He took mathematics and astronomy lessons from important scientists of the period such as Uluğ Bey, Kadızâde-i Rûmî and Gıyâsüddin Cemşid el-Kâşî. After had went to Kidman to complete his education, he returned back with booklet of Hall el-Eşkâl el-Kamer. After his return to Samarkand, Ali Kuscu took over the observatory upon the death of Kadızâde-i Rûmî who was the former director of the Samarkand Observatory. He helped the completion of Zici book of Ulug Bey.

    Besides, Ali Kuscu  left Samarkand upon the death of Ulug Bey and went to the Akkoyunlu ruler of Uzun Hasan.

     

     

    FROM SEMERKANT TO HAGIA SOPHIA

     

    Ali Kuscu was sent by Uzun Hasan as ambassador  to Fatih Sultan Mehmet in order to ensure peace between the Ottoman and Akkoyunlu States. Fatih who appreciated the scientists, offered Ali Kuscu to stay in Istanbul and teach at the madrasa. Ali Kuscu was assigned to Hagia Sophia as a lecturer and stayed in Istanbul. Here he prepared the education programs of the “Fatih Complex”,  gave astronomy and mathematics lessons. Ali Kuscu, who played an important role in teaching mathematics lessons in madrasas, also measured the latitudes and longitudes of Istanbul and made various sundials.

     

    TWO IMPORTANT WORKS

     

    Written in two important works in the fields of astronomy and mathematics, Kuscu presented his work of Fethiye to Fatih Sultan Mehmet after the Otlukbeli Victory.  In the first chapter of Fethiye, which he wrote in the field of astronomy, he did not deal with the spheres of the planets and the movements of the planets.  The second part was on the shape of the earth and seven climates.  In the last chapter, Ali Kuscu gave the measurements of the Earth and the distances of the planets.  Another work of Ali Kuscu is a mathematics book named Muhammediye after the name of Fatih.  Kuscu died in Istanbul in 1471.