Taqwīm

Included in this fragmentary taqwīm, or almanac, arehalf of a world map; a diagram of the Earth’s climatic zones; and half of a horoscope diagram for a location in present-day Afghanistan (26°21’ N,92°30’ E),dated Friday, 27 Shawwāl 912 (12 March 1507). The illustrations on display represent ikhtiyārāt (elections) for the moon in one of the zodiacal signs. Electional astrology was used to determine auspicious times for performing certain actions, and was a more common pursuit among Islamic and Indian astronomers than among their Christian counterparts. Yet while this manuscript exemplifies the differing emphases of astronomical science across the medieval world, it also reveals the theoretical principles that were shared among cultures, including the belief that celestial bodies exerted influences on the world below.