Exploring the pioneering contributions and overlooked achievements of a visionary polymath
Abu-Al Qasim Abbas Ibn Firnas, father of Aviation, a polymath, an astronomer, creator of ornithopter, poet and inventor, among many other important things, was a fascinating intellectual and the first man to make scientific efforts to fly. Unfortunately, he is also a victim of forgotten scientific history. The father of Aviation, Abbas Ibn Firnas, successfully claimed to be behind the theory that went on to create the ornithopter, an aircraft that mimics birds and flies by flapping its wings. His flying machine diagrams went on to become the cornerstones of aviation engineering in the late 20th century. In the 9th century, engineer Abbas Ibn Firnas is considered to be the first human to fly with the help of a pair of wings built of silk, wood, and real feathers. The 9th-century polymath and engineer plucked up the courage to make heavier-than-air machine flight a thousand years before motorized aeroplanes were invented. “Philip Hiti’s book, History of Arabs.”
Abbas Ibn Firnas left a legacy of scientific advancement and research instincts. His intellectual legacy has inspired a lot of people. Thus, Ibn Firnas proved nature is a real engineering hub, a fact denied for centuries. Throughout the history of mankind, there have been memorable people whose contributions to science can be considered exceptional. With time, human intellect began, and man has been fascinated by the flight of birds. Man has always been inspired by this and has dreamt of flight. In the early 9th century, Abbas Ibn Firnas came up with the idea of flight. He was quite successful in his flight experiments, which he demonstrated to the people of Cordoba, Spain when he launched himself from the Minaret of Cordoba’s Largest Masjid. Abbas Ibn Firnas was a very creative engineer and inventor who successfully constructed the first successful flying machine. Abbas Ibn Firnas is still an inspiration for the world, and his genius explanation about the role of wings and tails in flying is the legacy of a million-dollar idea that helped the Wright brothers invent the motorized flying machine.
When Ibn Firnas was between the ages of 65 and 70, he jumped off a cliff from Yemen’s Jabal Al-Arus mountain and glided in the air, staying in flight for at least 10 minutes. He studied further with enthusiasm and courage to find out the importance of the tail of birds in landing and sketched many designs of already formed flying machines but unfortunately couldn’t demonstrate them again. In the Iberian Peninsula, and probably in Europe, he used the Sindhind astronomical tables, of Indian origin, which later would prove fundamental to the development of European science and would be studied in medieval universities as a Quadrivium subject. “Integrity study of astronomy” introduced the Western world to the technique for carving rock crystals and developed alchemical procedures to create crystals from different minerals. He built an Anaphoric clock, with a complex mechanism that uses water as a liquid engine “energy”. The water flow is closed or opened by a series of valves, and the clock serves to show the hour at any time of the day or night, something which was immensely extraordinary and unusual at the time.
He also developed the first armillary sphere or spherical astrolabe in Europe, used to perform calculations and approximate astronomical observations, by moving the instrument’s rings according to the plane of the celestial rings. As an example of his advanced knowledge of astronomy, he built a mechanically articulated planetarium at his residence in Cordoba, which represented the celestial vault. He even provided it with sound and visual effects that simulated various weather phenomena: storms, lightning, and thunder. He designed, amongst other things, a water clock, a colourless glass, and corrective lenses. He was very interested in mechanical devices and especially crystals, which led him to melt sand into glass and create Andalusian drinking glasses. He also made lenses from transparent glass that was useful in correcting the eyesight problems of people. It is true that glass was already in Roman times, but Ibn Firnas got a glass of transparency never before achieved. He also developed a technique to cut, and decorate faceting & milling machines for bangles and cut the quartz crystal, leading to the development of glass and quartz industries in Andalus. Many historians consider Ibn Firnas the first man who developed glass from stone. He developed reading stones, which were very transparent glass and polished, with a circular shape, which served to facilitate the reading of the manuscripts at that time.
The work of Abbas Ibn Firnas is not as widely recognized as that of some other historical figures due to several factors. One reason is that much of his work was not extensively documented or preserved. The famous Moroccan historian, al-Maqqari, had collected and published most of the proofs of Ibn Firnas’s rare achievements within the 17th century, but Maqqari’s work went untranslated for over 200 years. One of the most reasonable possibilities of remaining unknown for Abbas Ibn Firnas was the burning of
The work of Abbas ibn Firnas is not as widely recognized as that of some other historical figures due to several factors. One reason is that much of his work was not extensively documented or preserved. The famous Moroccan historian, al-Maqqari, had collected and published most of the proofs of Ibn Firnas’s rare achievements within the 17th century, but Maqqari’s work went untranslated for over 200 years. One of the most reasonable possibilities of remaining unknown for Abbas Ibn Firnas was the burning of many libraries like the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, the Library of Antioch in Syria, the Library of Al-Hakam 2 in Al-Andalus in 976 AD, and the House of Wisdom in Baghdad in 1258 AD by the Mongols. However, recent scholarships and efforts to uncover more about his life and work have helped shed light on his significance in the history of science and technology.
Efforts have been made to recognize the scientific work of Ibn Firnas so that people would become familiar with the contribution and scientific legacy of Ibn Firnas. In such context, various steps have been taken on the international as well as regional level to honour him, such as naming a crater on the moon after him as Ibn Firnas Carter Lat. 6.8° N, Long. 122.3° E, Dia. 89KM by the International Astronomical Union in 1976. In 2011, the “Abbas Ibn Firnás Bridge” was named after him, spanning the Guadalquivir River in Córdoba, Spain. Ibn Firnas is also the name given to a charter airline based at London Biggin Hills Airport, in honour of the Muslim inventor from Spain who is said to have made the first human flight in 875 AD. Additionally, a statue of Ibn Firnas has been built in Baghdad airport to recognize his achievements.
We cannot pay tribute to such great scientists by penning down a small piece of writing; it is just an attempt to bring Ibn Firnas’s work out from the forgotten prism of history. We must read about such personalities rather than watch T20 matches, movies, and social media. Let us encourage innovation and exploration in fields related to those in which Ibn Firnas made contributions, such as aviation, engineering, optics, astronomy, mechanics, and medicine. Supporting research and development in these areas can be a meaningful way to honour his pioneering spirit, recognize his historical significance, promote awareness of his achievements, and support efforts to further explore and celebrate his legacy.
The writer works in the education department and can be reached at ra************@***il.com.