From Lyrics by al-Fazārī to Lectures by al-Fārābī: Teaching Astronomy in Baghdād (750–1000 C.E.)

Astronomy in the Islamic World in the first millennium C.E. has left a wealth of evidence. We know of 671 Arabic astronomical works from 1 that epoch, 623 of which are still preserved in manuscripts. We know 356 authors of astronomical works, 91 of whom were active in Baghdād. These figures show that astronomy was no marginal phenomenon. The questions of how these astronomers were trained and what methods were used to acquire such specialized skills may seem obvious, but they have not yet been earnestly addressed. In this article, three groups of sources representing three phases of nd th