The Muslim Who Invented the Flush Mechanism

Modern day toilet

Humans in the past did not think of toilets as it was very convenient  to simply take a stroll into the bushes to ease oneself. Then a time came when people felt the need to have designated areas close by for the purpose of relieving themselves, toilets were born. 

Al-Jazari might not have invented the first toilet with a soak away but, his invention has led to it.

Al-Jazari invented a hand washing apparatus that accommodated a flush mechanism which is now used in the flush toilets of our time. It consisted of a female humanoid automaton fitted close to a basin containing water. When the lever is pulled, the water drains and the female automaton refills the basin.

Who Was al-Jazari?

Badi az-Zaman Abū l-ʿIzz ibn Ismāʿīl ibn ar-Razāz al-Jazarī, famously known simply as al-Jazari, was a Muslim polymath who delved in mechanical engineer, artistry and mathematics. He lived from 1136–1206 during the Islamic Golden Age. 

Al-Jazari’s early life is only vaguely known hence, he has been called Arab, Kurdish, and Persian. 

Following the steps of his father, al-Jazari served as chief engineer at the Artuklu Palace, it was the residence of the Mardin branch of the Artuqids. He later served under the famous Salahaddin al-Ayyubi. Western historians believe the Italian inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, might have been influenced by the works of al-Jazari.

His Greatest Work

Al-Jazari’s book, The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, which he wrote in 1206, earned him world fame which he continues to enjoy to the present era. The book contained descriptions of 100 mechanical devices; about 80 of them have been classified as trick vessels of various designs. 

The book also contained instructions on how to construct the devices. According to Otto Mayr, in The Origins of Feedback Control, the book's style is quintessential to a modern "do-it-yourself" book. Al-Jazari constantly reiterated that he only explained devices he built himself even though, he described improvements he made to works he met on ground.

Other Ground Breaking Feats

Water Works

It might not be out of place to describe al-Jazari as the father of hydro power as he made several water based innovations. Al-Jazari designed the earliest known water supply system driven by gears and hydro power; it was designed and built in Damascus (13th century) to supply water to the Masajid and Bimaristan (hospitals).

Al-Jazari invented five water raising machines as well as watermills and water wheels with cams on their axle used for operating automata. The concept of minimizing what engineers call ‘intermittent working’ is first implied in one of al-Jazari's saqiya chain pumps. The polymath also invented the earliest known automatic gates, they were hydro power driven.

Design of Clocks

Al-Jazari was a horologist extraordinaire, a master in the design and construction of clocks. He constructed a variety of water and candle clocks. 

Monumental water-powered astronomical clocks designed to display moving models of the Sun, Moon, and stars were also constructed by al-Jazari.

The elephant clock described by al-Jazari was the first ever alarm clock. It comprised of an automaton which reacted after controlled intervals of time. His elephant clock consisted of a humanoid robot striking the cymbal and a mechanical robotic bird chirping. 

Al-Jazari also invented the first water clock which accurately recorded the passage of the temporal hours to match the uneven length of days throughout the year.

Al-Jazari invented water clocks that were driven by both water and weights. These included geared clocks and a portable water-powered scribe clock. In the portable water-powered scribe clock, the scribe with his pen was similar to the hour hand of a current era clock. 

In 1976, al-Jazari's famous water-powered scribe clock was successfully reconstructed at the Science Museum in London.

Isma’il al-Jazari passed away in 1206 at the age of 70 in Cizre, Artuqid State-Present day Turkey.