The Elephant Water Clock by Ismail al-Jazari from the year 1180

The Elephant Clock was a model of a water clock invented by the medieval Islamic engineer Ismail al-Jazari (1136–1206). Its construction was described in detail in his book "The Book of Knowledge of Refined Mechanical Devices".

mechanism

A replica of the Elephant Clock is located in the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai.

A replica is located in the Kasımiye Medrese in Mardin, Türkiye.

The time mechanism is based on a water-filled basin inside the elephant. Within this basin is a deep bowl that floats in the water and has a small hole in the center. The bowl takes half an hour to fill through this hole. As it sinks, the bowl pulls on a string connected to a seesaw mechanism in the tower atop the elephant. This releases a ball that falls into the mouth of a snake. The snake then tilts forward and, using strings, pulls the sunken bowl out of the water. Simultaneously, a system of strings causes a figure in the tower to raise either their left or right hand, and the mahout (elephant handler) beats a drum. This indicates a half hour or a full hour. The snake then tilts back. The cycle repeats as long as there are balls in the upper container to trigger the emptying of the bowl.

vending machine

Inside the mechanism, a humanoid automaton strikes the cymbals, and a mechanical bird chirps, like in the cuckoo clock previously invented by Archimedes.

Time elapsed

Another innovative feature of the clock was its ability to track the passage of time. This required the flow rate to be adjusted daily to account for the varying length of the day throughout the year. For this purpose, the clock had two reservoirs. The upper reservoir was connected to the timekeeping mechanisms, and the lower one to the flow regulator. At daybreak, the tap was opened, and water flowed from the upper to the lower reservoir via a float switch, which maintained constant pressure in the collection tank.

Modern replicas

The organization "1001 Inventions" has created several modern replicas of the Elephant Clock. These replicas are presented in "1001 Inventions'" science education shows, which have been touring worldwide since 2006. During a visit to London's Science Museum in January 2010, BBC journalist Nick Higham described the five-meter-high, working replica of the Elephant Clock by "1001 Inventions" as "spectacular."

A modern, fully functional, life-size replica is on display as an eye-catcher in the Ibn Battuta Mall, a shopping center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Another working replica is located in front of the "Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle" watch museum at the Château des Monts in Le Locle, Switzerland. A further example is housed in the Museum of Science and Technology in Islam at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Wikipedia