Islamic Scientific Manuscripts Initiative (ISMI)

Image from codex Petermann I 673, Staatsbibliothek Berlin, f. 98a

Image from codex Petermann I 673, Staatsbibliothek Berlin, f. 98a

The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science starts the “Islamic Scientific Manuscript Initiative” (ISMI).

The mission of the Initiative (ISMI) is to make accessible information on all Islamic manuscripts in the exact sciences (astronomy, mathematics, optics, mathematical geography, music, mechanics, and related disciplines), whether in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, or other languages.

The database was also designed to facilitate research on these materials. In particular, it allows for “transitive queries” that return chains of teachers/students, original texts/commentaries, ownership chains, and so forth.