(1402, Samarqand – 1474, Istanbul)

Astronomer, mathematician, and geographer

 

Biography

 

Ali Qushchi was the closest friend and the learner of Mirza Ulughbek. After the death of Ulugbek in 1449, he took the observatory under his own guidance. In 1472, on request from Alisher Navoi he received a travel document from the sultan Khusain Bayqaro and left for Istanbul holding the manuscripts of the Observatory in Samarkand. The fame of the Samarkand Observatory was so immense that the Sultan Mehmet II assigned him a mudarris (senior teacher) at the madrasah attached to the mosque of Aya-Saphiya. Though he had lived in Istanbul for two years, he managed to replicate the main manuscript of his teacher Mirza Ulughbek in multiple copies and translated them into the Turkish language.

 

The grandson to Ali Qushchi-Hafiz Kuhaqiy – a well-known public figure was also known as a very educated person of his time. In 1528, he went to India where he met Zahiriddin Babur. Kuhaqiy had lived till he was old, died and was buried in Tashkent in the Qaffal Shashi mausoleum (now known as Khast Imam).

 

Main Scientific Works

 

Ali Qushchi is the author of comments on “Zij” by Ulughbek and over 30 treatises. Among them:

 

Ar-Risala al-Muhammadia fi-l-hisab («Treatise on the arithmetic science» (in the Arabic language) – the manuscript about the basics of arithmetical calculations for the needs of astronomy;

 

Risala dar ilmi hayat («Treatise on Astronomy» (in the Persian language)) – the manuscript about the theoretical part of Ulugbek’s Zidj.

 

The manuscripts were given very significant importance in teaching mathematics and astronomy in the countries of Far and Middle East in XVI-XVII centuries.

 

Contribution to the World Science

 

Ali Qushchi attained world recognition as an outstanding luminary of the Samarqand astronomer school, the closest friend and learner of Mirza Ulughbek.

 

The most important fact here is that he has managed to train numerous followers of the school in Samarkand. In fact, he is considered as a founder of the ottoman astronomic and mathematic scientific schools. It was thanks to his efforts that “Zij” written by Ulughbek had been transported to Europe via Istanbul and had enjoyed the world fame.

 

In 2008, the Uzbek scientists discovered the grave of Ali Qushchi. They found out that he had been buried in the cemetery of Ayoob in Istanbul, where the note on his tombstone read: “Ali Qushchi (1402-1474) – a man of science».