Maryam al-Astrulabi

Maryam al-Ijliyya al-Astrulabi was a 10th-century female astronomer and instrument-maker from Aleppo, Syria, who was employed at the court of Sayf al-Dawla, the Hamdanid ruler. She is one of the earliest known women to have worked in STEM fields. She was renowned for designing and constructing astrolabes — complex astronomical instruments used for timekeeping, navigation, surveying, and determining the qibla (direction of Makkah for prayer). Astrolabes were among the most sophisticated scientific instruments of the medieval world, requiring mastery of both astronomy and precision metalworking. Her work was so highly regarded that she received court patronage, an extraordinary honor that speaks to her exceptional skill. In 2015, the main-belt asteroid 7060 Al-Ijliyya was named in her honor.