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Iran / Uzbekistan: Astronomical drawing attributed to Ulugh Beg (1394-1449)

Iran / Uzbekistan: Astronomical drawing attributed to Ulugh Beg (1394-1449)

Ulugh Bek (Uzbek: Muhammad Tarag'ay Ulug'bek, Муҳаммад Тарағай Улуғбек; Persian: میرزا محمد طارق بن شاہرخ الغ‌بیگ - Mīrzā Muhammad Tāraghay bin Shāhrukh Uluġ Bek) (22 March 1394 in Sultaniyeh (Persia) – 27 October, 1449 (Samarkand) was a Timurid ruler as well as an astronomer, mathematician and sultan.

His commonly-known name is not truly a personal name, but can be loosely translated as 'Great Ruler' and was the Turkic equivalent of Timur's Perso-Arabic title Amīr-e Kabīr. His real name was Mīrzā Mohammad Tāraghay bin Shāhrokh. Ulugh Beg was notable for his work in astronomy-related mathematics, such as trigonometry and spherical geometry. He built the great observatory in Samarkand, between 1424 and 1429.