Solar clocks in Morocco .. Will neglect stop their hands?

Sanaa Kouiti - Rabat

On the façade of the Mohammedia Association of Scholars in the Bab Lalou Square in Rabat and opposite the ancient Martyrs' Mosque, a sundial clock with a brass hand stands, and the Gaduns and shatons pass by without casting their attention to their heritage value and astronomical specificity.

This watch adorns the building, which was formerly the headquarters of the Consultative Council for Human Rights and accepted by a Shari'a court. It was drawn up by Moroccan astronomer and provisional Mohamed Ben-Hafiane Cherkaoui Rabati, who lived in the 14th century AH.

The clocks work with the extension and contraction of the shadow of the sun, and the timing is determined by the change of the direction of the shadow of a scorpion perpendicular to her face. .

According to historical sources, the Chinese first used the shadow to set the times, followed by Egyptians, Chaldeans, Greece, Romans and other nations and countries.

statistics
The sundial located on the wall of the Muhammadiyah League of Ulema rises by about three meters from the ground, measuring between sixty and fifty centimeters.It seems that the scorpion fell and then returned by a person who is not competent and placed in the wrong place, making it distorted and disabled.

There is a second sundial in the agriculture club in Rabat - flat and raised from the ground by 90 cm - and made of marble, has broken its sides, as explained to the island Net temporary Abdul Aziz Kharboush, and a third sundial Museum of Antiquities and Civilizations dating back to the 14th century is a flat horizontal sundial broken from both sides and person Missing.

In his recently published book, The Clocks of the Kingdom of Morocco's Historical Value and Astronomical Significance, he counted about 117 sundials distributed over 28 cities, which he examined in mosques, corners, squares, and museums, and took photographs highlighting their current status, 12 missing sundries, and those not accessible to the royal palaces. to her.

The oldest watches
The practitioner is associated with mosques for their function in controlling prayer times, and has been active in the Kingdom since the fourth century AH.Kharbush says that the sundial on the roof of the mosque of the villagers in Fez is the oldest in the country, dating back to the eighth century AH.

This watch rises from the ground by one meter and made as written by astronomer Mohammed bin Abi al-Fath al-Lakhmi, and there is - according to what Kharboush - in a dire situation after the removal of the scorpion and erosion due to neglect.

There is the second oldest sundial in Morocco, according to the same source, the Mosque of Mouassine in Marrakech, dating back to 1581/989 Hegira, but after the process of renovation and reform witnessed in this historic mosque was returned to its place and placed a lamp above the sunlight.

Mohammed Ramshani, nicknamed the Prince of Astronomers in Morocco, says in his article entitled "Measuring time by solar practitioners" published in the Association Charter newspaper that although the practitioner today is considered as decoration and decoration in historical places, its role is still doing positive work in controlling time, especially the time of disappearing.

Astronomers are still making sundials and adding more accurate elements and data than ever before.Artists still focus on this type of artifacts.A French association was established with the aim of inventing all sundials in France and abroad for their maintenance, preservation and renovation.

Endangered legacy
The sundial is planned according to precise geometric, astronomical and mathematical rules, and each sundial is designed for the country or place where it will be used. A sundial planned for Rabat, for example, can be used in Marrakech as local clocks that give time to display the country you planned.

The shape of sundials varies, such as flat, standing and skewed (it is important to plan the angle of deviation very precisely because any error in this is not right to drop the shadow on the lines of the clocks).

The practitioner suffers from ignorance of people and their heritage value and the roles they played, as explained by the interested astronomer Hassan Talbi of the island Net, who said that ignorance made these astronomical instruments vulnerable to neglect and destruction, and they were looted after the illusion that some have a magic ability or behind a treasure . Some of them were broken and damaged during the restoration of some mosques and corners.

On the other hand, Talbi explains that some of these hours are still in place and work accurately thanks to the keen supervision of the restoration of some buildings to restore them as they were or because of their knowledge of cultural, scientific and aesthetic value, but expresses regret for the disappearance of an old practitioner in the cities of Taza, Taroudant and others and the disappearance of others due to factors Time, grabbing hands, falling them down and randomly reconstructing them by people who are unaware of the timing.

Kharboush calls on the heritage officials of the Ministry of Awqaf as responsible for mosques and the Ministry of Culture and Museums to protect this historical heritage, and pledge restoration and reform, and identify new generations as part of the Moroccan memory and heritage reflects the skill of Moroccan scientists in astronomy and timing.