Euclid. Elementa Geometrica, translation into Arabic ascribed to Nasir ad-Din Tusi, illuminated manuscript on fine polished paper [Timurid Persia, dated Jumada al-Awwal 954 AH (1547 AD)]

Euclid. Elementa Geometrica, translation into Arabic ascribed to Nasir ad-Din Tusi, illuminated manuscript on fine polished paper [Timurid Persia, dated Jumada al-Awwal 954 AH (1547 AD)]

single volume, 185 leaves, apparently complete, single column, 19 lines black naskh with important words and phrases in red, numerous geometric diagrams and illustrations throughout, also heightened in red, gilt polychrome heading opening the text, rather faded, leaves ruled in gilt, red and blue, first few gatherings rather damp-stained and darkened, edges repaired, one leaf torn without loss to text, a few scuffs and marks elsewhere, otherwise clean copy, two ink ownership seals to recto of first leaf, 185 by 120 mm.; in later red morocco, paper label pasted to spine, corners rubbed and chipped with slight loss

Persian polymath Tusi (1271-1274 AD) is often considered to be the founder of trigonometry as an independent mathematical discipline, producing the largest body of work from any single Islamic scholar with over 150 fundamentally important texts on the subject, commentaries and translations.

This is his Arabic translation of Euclids Elementa Geometrica. It is split into thirteen chapters, focusing mainly on the basic principles of geometry, arithmetic, the theory of numbers, and geometry in relation to space. The popularity of this translation of Euclids work was so great, that it became the first work printed in the Arabic language, by the Medici Press in Rome in 1594.

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