Book of Ingenious Devices
The Book of Ingenious Devices (Arabic: Kitab al-Hiyal) was a book jointly published in 850 by the triplet inventor brothers Abu Jafar Muhammad, Al-Hasan, and Ahmad. It contained their illustrated works on 100 mechanical devices, which included automata, musical instruments, trick vessels, and other marvels.[1]
In the 860s, the House of Wisdom had a copy of the book that later went missing. The Alamut Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq recovered the book in the Karkh district of Baghdad in a building opposite the Harbor Camp. He then returned the book to the famed writer Al-Jahiz in the House of Wisdom.[2]
Basim's description[edit | edit source]
Our dear Banu Musa have so many ideas, they overflowed into this book! I am proud of them, and these devices are indeed ingenious. To think of a flute that plays on its own! There are many wonders here and I suspect some of them will soon be made a reality.