ALİ KUSCU

Ali Kuscu Biography




Ali Kuşçu is one of the most noteworthy and important scientists 

in Turkish-Islamic world in the XVth century. He wrote invaluable works 

especially on astronomy and mathematics. He was a student and coworker of the famous statesman and scientist Uluğ Bey. After Uluğ Bey’s 

assassination Ali Kuşçu left Samarqand and went to Tabriz where he 

started to work for Uzun Hasan, the ruler of Akkoyunlu. While he had 

been working for Uzun Hasan, Ali Kuşçu was sent as a good-will 

ambassador to Mehmed II. Having completed his ambassadorial duty he 

went back to Tabriz. However, upon Mehmed II’s invitation Ali Kuşçu 

returned to İstanbul continued his studies and spent the last two years of 

his life in İstanbul working for the Ottoman Empire.

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Istanbul Observatory was founded by Takiyüddin er-Raşid during the 

reign of Sultan Murad III, in Istanbul and was a venae for important studies 

and research. Takiyüddin er-Raşid, born in Damascus in 1526, was the founder 

of the first observatory in the Ottoman Empire. After completing his education 

in Damascus and Egypt, he served as a judge10 and professor, during this time 

he really got into astronomy and mathematics. He arrived in İstanbul in 1570 

and in 1571 he became Müneccimbaşı

11 After meeting with Sultan Murad III 

through Sokullu Mehmed Pasha, he proposed to build an observatory to have a 

better calendar12 than Uluğ Bey’s. The Observatory was partially built in 1577 

and Takiyüddin er-Raşid started his observations there. He built a very precise 

mechanical clock to make measurements. He invented new tools to make 

various calculations in İstanbul Observatory. He also wrote the first book in the 

Ottoman Empire about mechanical machines. The instruments in the 

Observatory were as follows: armillae zodiac, mural quadrant, azimuthal 

semicircle, triquetrum, dipotra and sextant. However, the Observatory was 

demolished in 1580 due to political and religious reasons by the order of the

As already mentioned above, Ali Kuşçu was a student of Uluğ Bey and 

Kadızade-i Rumi as well14. He was deeply interested in the fields of 

mathematics and astronomy. He completed his education in Samarqand and 

Kirman. After having been educated by a well-known scientist of his time, 

Kadızade-i Rumi, Ali Kuşçu became the assistant of Uluğ Bey. After the death 

of Kadızade, Ali Kuşçu was appointed as the director of Samarqand 

Observatory. Uluğ Bey appreciated Ali Kuşçu’s studies on astronomy.