Two artists in the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa have combined miniature art with the astrolabe, an ancient astronomical instrument once used to determine time, calendar dates and directions based on the positions of stars in the sky.
Astrolabe artist Cebrail Çukurkaya crafted a Hucendi astrolabe from brass, while miniature artist Aylin Özkan adorned the instrument with a hand-painted design on leather.
The miniature artwork, applied to the astrolabe’s body, depicts a horizon line separating the earth and sky. Above the line, stars and celestial elements are illustrated, while below it, four historical figures are shown conducting astronomical observations using astrolabes, quadrants and angle measurement tools.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Çukurkaya described the astrolabe as the "computer of the Middle Ages" and explained how combining it with traditional arts came from viewing each art form as a star in its own right.
“We thought, ‘If each branch of art is like a star, then the astrolabe should meet them, connect with them,’” he said. “That’s how the project started. We wanted the astrolabe to carry traces of other art forms as well. We began with miniature art. We used an authentic excerpt from a historical astrolabe for part of it and incorporated related themes through miniature techniques.”
Çukurkaya said his goal is to unite all branches of art with the history of science through the astrolabe.
“We plan to include ceramic, tilework, illumination and calligraphy as well,” he said. “We’re working on projects involving those other art forms, too. Eventually, we want to bring all these together in a collaborative exhibition. It’s an effort to carry our culture forward.”
He added that the astrolabe design is a faithful replica of one created in 984 A.D.
“The exterior, upper figures, podium section and other divisions all match that original model,” he said. “We even followed the same measurements. The miniature includes the astrolabe’s latitude disk and horizon line — the border between the visible sky and earth. We created a sky composition above the line, with stars. Below it are historical observers with astrolabes, quadrants and angle measurers in hand.”
Miniature artist Özkan said she was excited to contribute to the project and brought the vision to life with a design first imagined in sketches.
“Miniature art has a documentary nature and tells a story. The astrolabe fits this narrative structure beautifully,” she said. “I created a scene with four people observing the stars. We used leather as the base. The piece drew a lot of interest.”
Özkan said that after finishing the leather miniature, it was applied to the surface of the astrolabe.
“We spent a long time thinking about how best to reflect the astrolabe through art,” she said. “This is what emerged from that process.”
Calling traditional arts the most expressive way to convey cultural heritage, Özkan said she was honored to be part of the first phase of the project.
“We will continue with new interpretations and designs,” she said. “I love seeing miniature art applied to different materials and objects. Working on the astrolabe was deeply inspiring. Together with Cebrail, we’ll keep exploring these new artistic paths.”
