Al Achsasi al Mouakket

Who is Al Achsasi al Mouakket?

Mohammad Al Achsasi Al Mouakket was an Egyptian astronomer whose calendarium and catalogue of stars, entitled Durret al Muddiah Fih al Aamal al Shamsiah, was written at Cairo about 1650. Al Achsasi was sheikh of the Grand Mosque of the University of Cairo, where his name al Mouakket reflected his position regulating the times and hours at the mosque. His name Achsasi connects him in origin to a village in the Faiyum.

No copies of his book were known to Western astronomers or historians of science until 1895; thus he did not appear in the standard French and English bibliographies and library catalogues of the 19th century.