Omar Khayyam Nishapuri: biography. Omar Khayyam is a Persian philosopher, poet and scientist. Poems and quotes by Omar Khayyam. Omar Khayyam - biography, information, personal life

Name: Omar Khayyam

Age: 83 years old

Place of Birth: Nishapur

A place of death: Nishapur, Iran

Activity: Persian philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet

Family status: wasn't married

Omar Khayyam - biography

Omar Khayyam is a famous astronomer and mathematician, but every person is more familiar with him as a philosopher, whose thoughts fully and deeply reflect the thoughts and feelings of a person. But everyone who quotes this great man wants to know about the philosopher, his exact biography.

Omar Khayyam - childhood

Not much is known about Omar Khayyam, especially about his childhood. The date of birth of the Persian philosopher is May 18, 1048. His birthplace was Nishapur, which is located in one of the provinces of Khorasan, which is located in the eastern part of Iran. This city was notable for the fact that very often fairs were held in it, which attracted a huge number of people, and these were not only residents of Iran, but also foreigners who lived in neighboring countries. It is worth noting that in those ancient times when the philosopher was born, his hometown of Nishapur was considered the main cultural center of the country.

Omar Khayyam - education

Omar Khayyam received his education in a madrasah, which at that time was considered a school of only the highest and middle type, so not all children were enrolled in it. By the way, the name of the Persian philosopher is literally translated as tent maker. And since no facts about his parents were preserved at all, the researchers came to the conclusion that his family members in the male line were engaged in crafts. But, despite this, there was money for my son’s education.

The madrassa where the young philosopher studied was an educational institution for aristocrats. It was believed that such institutions prepared officials for the highest rank of civil service. When his studies at the madrasah were completed, the parents sent their son first to Samarkand, where Omar Khayyam continued his studies, and then to Balkh. This education developed the child and gave him enormous knowledge. He was able to learn the secrets of such sciences as mathematics, astronomy and physics.

The young man himself not only studied diligently, receiving the knowledge that was taught to him in educational institutions, but he also studied some subjects on his own: theosophy, history, philosophy, philology and others. An educated person of that time should have known all of them. He paid special attention to the rules of versification and the Arabic language. Ideally, he also studied the art of music. He studied Omar Khayyam and medicine. He not only knew the Koran by heart, but could easily explain any part of it.

Scientific activity of Omar Khayyam

Even before finishing his studies, Omar Khayyam became known as the smartest man in his country, and many prominent people began to turn to him for advice. This was a new time for him, which opened a new page in his biography. The ideas of the young philosopher were new and unusual. Omar Khayyam made his first discoveries in the mathematical field. He was 25 years old then. When his work comes out of print, his fame as a great scientist spreads throughout the entire earth. There are also omnipotent patrons for him, since at that time the rulers sought to have scientists and educated minds in their retinue. Omar served at court, delving into his scientific activities.

At first, Omar was awarded the great honor of occupying a place of honor next to the prince, but then the rulers changed, but the honor remained for him. There is a legend that he was offered to manage his hometown and those territories that are located nearby. But he was forced to refuse, because he does not know how to manage people. For his honesty and activity, he was awarded a large salary, which would allow him to continue to engage in science.

Soon Omar Khayyam was asked to manage the observatory, which was located at the palace. The best astronomers in the country were invited to create it, and huge amounts of money were allocated so that scientists could purchase equipment. They created a calendar that is somewhat similar to the modern one. Omar studied both astrology and mathematics. It is he who owns the modern classification of equations.

The scientist was also interested in studying philosophy. At first he translated those philosophical works that had already been created. And then, in 1080, he creates his first treatise. Khayyam did not deny the existence of God, but said that any order of things is subject to natural law. But Omar could not say such conclusions openly in his writings, since this was contrary to the Muslim religion. But in poetry he could speak out more boldly. He studied poetry all his life.

Omar Khayyam - last days, death

After the death of the Sultan, Khayyam's position at the palace worsened. But trust was completely undermined after he spoke out that the Sultan’s heir would be able to recover from smallpox, which he contracted. The biography of the great scientist and philosopher changes dramatically from that moment. Soon the observatory was closed, and the scientist spent the rest of his days in his hometown. He never married, so there were no heirs. There were also fewer and fewer students every year. One day he didn’t eat or drink anything for a whole day, studying another philosophical work. Then he called people to make a will and died by evening.

Giyasaddin Abu-l-Fath Omar ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyam Nishapuri was born on May 18, 1048 in Iran (Nishapur), died on December 4, 1122. He studied poetry, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy.

In literature he achieved recognition for his quatrains (“rubai”), in algebra he built a classification of cubic equations, plus he created a calendar that was more accurate than the European one.

Omar was born into a tent-dwelling family. His childhood was difficult, because it occurred during the period of the Seljuk conquest of Central Asia.

Omar was capable and smart, he grasped everything on the fly. At the age of 8, he already knew the Koran (the holy book of Muslims) from memory, and was deeply involved in astronomy, mathematics and philosophy. At the age of 12, he became a student at the Nishapur madrasah (a Muslim educational institution that serves as a high school and a Muslim theological seminary). He brilliantly completed a course in Islamic law and medicine, receiving the qualification of hakim, that is, a doctor. But medical practice was of little interest to Omar. He studied the works of the famous mathematician and astronomer Thabit ibn Kurra, and the works of Greek mathematicians.

The word "Khayyam" literally means "tent maker", from the word "khaima" - tent, from the same word comes the Old Russian "khamovnik", i.e. textile worker Ibn Ibrahim means son of Ibrahim. Thus, Khayyam’s father’s name was Ibrahim and he came from a family of artisans. It can be assumed that this man had sufficient funds and did not spare them to give his son an education corresponding to his brilliant abilities.

At the age of sixteen, Khayyam experienced the first loss in his life: during the epidemic, his father died, and then his mother. Omar sold his father's house and workshop and went to Samarkand. In Samarkand, Khayyam first became a student of one of the madrassas, but after several speeches at debates, he so impressed everyone with his learning that he was immediately made a mentor.

In 1074, soon after, after a long confrontation with the Seljuks, Shams al-Muluk recognized himself as a vassal of Sultan Malik Shah, Khayyam was invited to the capital of the huge Seljuk state of Isfahan to the court of Malik Shah to lead the reform of the Iranian solar calendar. The invitation was apparently made by the Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk. The same friend of Khayyam’s youth, if you still believe the legend, despite the above-mentioned discrepancy in the ages of Khayyam and the famous vizier. The year 1074 became a significant date in the life of Omar Khayyam: it began a twenty-year period of his particularly fruitful scientific activity, brilliant in terms of the results achieved.

Omar Khayyam was invited by Sultan Malik Shah - at the insistence of Nizam al-Mulk - to build and manage the palace observatory. Having gathered at his court “the best astronomers of the century,” as sources say, and having allocated large sums of money to purchase the most advanced equipment, the Sultan set Omar Khayyam the task of developing a new calendar.

Khayyam is known for his quatrains - wise, full of humor, guile and audacity of the rubai. He was forgotten for a long time, but his work became known to Europeans in modern times thanks to the translations of Edward Fitzgerald.

Do not ask the ball for consent to throw.

It rushes across the field, driven by the Player.

Only the One who once threw you here -

He knows everything, He knows everything.

Giyasaddun Abul Fath ibn Ibrahim Omar Khayyam Nishapuri was born in 1048 in Nishapur. studied in this city, then in the largest centers of science of that time, including Balkh and Samarkand.

Based on his remaining scientific works and reports from his contemporaries, some details of his biography have been established. Around 1069, while in Samarkand, he wrote a treatise “On the proofs of problems in algebra and al-mukabala.” And before that, two mathematical treatises were written. In 1071 he headed the largest astronomical observatory in Isfahan, in 1077 he completed work on the book “Comments on the Difficult Postulates of the Book of Euclid,” and in 1079, together with his employees, he introduced the calendar.

In the mid-90s of the 11th century, after the closure of the observatory caused by a change of rulers, Khayyam made a pilgrimage to Mecca. This is reported by one of his unfriendly biographers, Ibn Al Qifti, in the following words: that he made the pilgrimage “... holding the reins of his tongue and pen, out of fear, and not out of piety.”

Around 1097, Khayyam worked as a doctor under the governor of Khorasan. Perhaps at this time he wrote his philosophical treatise in Farsi - “On the Universality of Being.”

Khayyam spent the last 10-15 years of his life in seclusion in Nishapur. He didn't interact much with people. The historian Beykhaki reports this: “He was stingy in writing books and teaching...”

Apparently, the last years of Khayyam’s life were difficult. He's writing:

I shake the branch of hope, but where is the desired fruit?

How can a mortal find the thread of fate in pitch darkness?

My existence is cramped, a sad dungeon, -

Oh, if only I could find the door that leads to eternity.

During these years, his only friends were books. As Beyhaki reports, in the last hours of his life, Khayyam read the “Book of Healing” by Ibn Sina. He reached the section “On Unity and Universality” of the philosophical work, put a toothpick in this place, stood up, prayed and died.

Thus, his biography differs little from the typical biography of a scientist, rapidly rising to the top of the career ladder under some rulers whose interests coincide with his scientific knowledge, and suffering hardships and disgrace when other rulers take over.

Biographers fairly close to him in time speak mainly of his scholarship and scientific treatises.

Only Ibn Al Kifti writes about verses that “sting like a snake.”

In the works of Soviet researchers, based on rich factual material, the historical merits of Omar Khayyam as a scientist who made a number of important discoveries in the field of astronomy, mathematics, physics and other sciences are irrefutably proven. For example, Khayyam’s mathematical research still has a certain value and has been translated into different languages.

The discoveries of Omar Khayyam were subsequently developed in detail by the Azerbaijani mathematician Nasreddin Tuya and in his works reached European scientists.

Khayyam’s creativity is one of the amazing phenomena in the cultural history of the peoples of Central Asia and Iran, and, perhaps, of all humanity.

If his works brought enormous benefits in the development of science, then his wonderful quatrains still captivate readers with their utmost capacity, laconicism, simplicity of visual means, and flexible rhythm.

Researchers judge the poetry of Omar Khayyam differently. Some believe that poetic creativity was just fun for him, which he indulged in in his free time from his main scientific studies. And yet Khayyam’s rubai, knowing neither time nor national boundaries, survived centuries and dynasties and have survived to this day.

The little book lives in his homeland, in neighboring countries, all over the world, passes from hand to hand, from house to house, from country to country, from century to century, excites thoughts, makes people think and argue about the world, about life, oh happiness, it protects you from the religious intoxication, tears off the mask of piety from the holy hypocrites.

First of all, it is necessary to emphasize that Khayyam values ​​​​man very highly in his lines:

The goal of the creator and the pinnacle of creation is us.

Wisdom, reason, the source of insight are us.

This circle of the universe is like a ring. –

It's a cut diamond, without a doubt we

Doesn't this bring Khayyam closer to the figures of the Renaissance? The great humanists and figures of the Renaissance believed that “man is the measure of all things”, he is the “crown of the universe”, and fought for the return of lost dignity to man.

Khayyam passionately desired the reorganization of the world and did everything in his power for this: he discovered the laws of nature, fixed his gaze on the stars, delved into the secrets of the universe and helped people free themselves from spiritual slavery. He saw that the greatest evil for man is religious delusion, that all religions fetter the human spirit, the power of his mind. Khayyam understood that only by freeing himself from this could a person live freely and happily.

However, in the work of Omar Khayyam there are many complex and contradictory problems.

The scientist, who managed to go far ahead of his time in the field of mathematics, astronomy and physics, lagged behind in understanding the laws of development of human society. As a result of this, the poet, who has encountered many difficulties in life, which one after another crushed his noble dreams, who has experienced many tragic moments, in a number of his rubai gives way to fatalism, speaks of the inevitability of fate, and sometimes falls into pessimism.

What does the world care about you? You are nothing in front of him:

Your existence is just smoke, nothing.

Two abysses gape on both sides of nothingness

And between them you, like them, are nothing.

A skeptical attitude towards life on earth, denial of this life, and hermitism were widespread in the medieval East.

This world was considered temporary, transitory... Hundreds, thousands of theologians and philosophers preached that eternal life and bliss can be found only after death.

However, even in those quatrains of Khayyam, in which at first glance pessimistic motives are very strong, in the subtext we see an ardent love for real life and a passionate protest against its imperfections.

Khayyam’s work is another proof that in the Middle Ages, during the period of the Inquisition, the general oppression of dark religious forces, the spiritual development of human society did not and could not stop.

The scientific and literary heritage of Omar Khayyam has served and continues to serve Man, being a bright page in the culture of the peoples of the world.

excerpts from the Civilization Project forum

In what century did Omar Khayyam write?

Omar Khayyam received worldwide recognition after the appearance of wonderful English translations Ed. Fitzgerald. first published in 1859
Fitzgerald's translation went through twenty-five editions until the end of the century, and Tennyson was probably right when he called it "a planet equal to the Sun, which threw it into space."

Currently, about five thousand rubai are attributed to Khayyam. One could only be glad that this great poet, philosopher, doctor, mathematician and astronomer was so prolific in literary terms. However, there is every reason to assert that most of the rubai, the author of which is considered to be Khayyam, were not written by him. The point is that During his lifetime, Khayyam's rubai were not published.

Only fifty years after the poet’s death his first book was published. For centuries, Khayyam's rubai were passed on from mouth to mouth, and every year there were more and more of them. The appearance of many new rubai is explained by the fact that the poets who lived after Khayyam were often afraid to express dissatisfaction with their time or their ruler under their own name and called on Khayyam’s authority for help.

Gulrukhsor Safieva notes: “... some of the poems attributed to Khayyam today were written by his contemporary, the poetess Mahasti Ganjavi, famous in the history of Persian culture.

An extremely long time until the second half of the 19th century, no one knew his name and for some reason his poems did not enjoy any popularity in the East. Omar Khayyam was not mentioned in any of the Persian and Arabic literary monographs of the 10th-19th centuries and his existence was simply not suspected. And only the free translations of the English poet Sir Edward Fitzgerald (made in the mid-19th century from an unknown source to this day) brought Khayyam worldwide fame. Since then, the number of reprints of the Rubaiyat has continuously grown and previously unknown, but very timely discovered manuscripts of Omar have constantly appeared. Moreover, the number of poems in different editions changed in one direction or another.

The Parisian edition of 1867, considered canonical, contains 456 rubai (quatrains according to the rhyme scheme “aaba”, where the 1st, 2nd and 4th lines rhyme with each other), but it, according to researchers of Khayyam’s work, is very far from perfect, because it includes includes poems by other little-known or completely unknown (anonymous) poets.
More recently (in the mid-20th century), European researchers discovered a manuscript containing 252 rubai, which was immediately called “the truly authentic manuscript of Khayyam.” No evidence of its authenticity was presented, and Iranian scientists did not recognize the find.

In general, something strange is always happening with Omar’s handwritten legacy - either the “original” of E. Fitzgerald sinks along with the Titanic, or they find a scroll with poems in Arabic, and not in Farsi. That scroll that sank with the Titanic , was only a reverse translation into Farsi of the published poems of the “discoverer” Fitzgerald. “Khayyam scholars” do not have a single piece of paper by which one could judge the real time of Omar’s work. All scientific “disputes” and “research” are conducted on the basis of assumptions, assumptions and overlap with the works of other writers.

In his homeland, Khayyam was better known as a philosopher and mathematician; until the 19th century—the time of Khayyam’s “discovery” by Europeans—his popularity as a poet was significantly less than that enjoyed, for example, by Ferdowsi, Saadi, Hafiz
.
(1904) A. Christensen, having fallen into complete pessimism, argued that only 12 quatrains could be recognized as truly Khayyam’s.

Further work on the study of Khayyam’s poetic heritage proceeded with varying degrees of success; hopes aroused by the discovery of an ancient manuscript were replaced by disappointment: the manuscript turned out to be a fake or its dating seemed doubtful.

This happened in 1925, with a manuscript published in Berlin by F. Rosen, and this happened with our (R. Aliyev and my) publication of an imaginary manuscript of the 13th century, Various scientists (F. Rosen, Chr. Rempis, M.-A. Forough) tried to create a method for determining which quatrains really belong to Khayyam and which are attributed to him. However, establishing a criterion for authenticity has proven to be a very difficult task. Researchers, not having solid ground under their feet, slipped into subjective judgments.

Thus, the German orientalist Chr. Rempis, having selected a certain number of “reliable” quatrains according to a strict system, found it possible to add another fifty “consonant” ones to them (probably forgetting that “consonant” for one researcher may seem “dissonant” to another).

The group of Iranian scientists was generally guided mainly by intuition.

So if in the 20th century Christensen found only 12 half-length - as it were - rubai, I can imagine what it was like in the 18th.

".Omar KHAYYAM (18.05.1048-1131, Samadkand, Persia = Tajikistan) poet, mathematician and philosopher, follower of al-Biruni, developed an exceptionally accurate solar Persian calendar, in which there are 8 leap days in 33 years, i.e. in the year 365* 8/33=365.24242 days and an error of 1 day occurred in 4500 years, while in Gregorian 365* 97/400=365.2425 days.
He reformed the Iranian calendar, introduced on March 15, 1079 and in force until the mid-19th century (Solar Hijri) on behalf of the Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah. He worked in Bukhara and Samarkand, then in Nishapur, where he built an observatory, and later in Nerva."

Numerous monographs by hundreds of researchers do not contain a single real evidence of the existence of one of the most famous and revered poets of the East - Omar Khayyam. The authorship of the famous "Rubai" has not yet been established.

According to current traditionalist scientific and historical views, someone whom we will for now call Omar Khayyam was born in the Iranian city of Nishapur between 1040 and 1048. Almost all his life he allegedly wandered around Persia (where exactly is unknown) and died in his homeland in 1122. For an extremely long time, until the second half of the 19th century, his name was not known to anyone and for some reason his poems did not enjoy any popularity in the East. Omar Khayyam was not mentioned in any of the Persian and Arabic literary monographs of the 10th-19th centuries and his existence was simply not suspected.

And only the free translations of the English poet Sir Edward Fitzgerald (made in the mid-19th century from an unknown source to this day) brought Khayyam worldwide fame. Since then, the number of reprints of the Rubaiyat has continuously grown and previously unknown, but very timely discovered manuscripts of Omar have constantly appeared. Moreover, the number of poems in different editions changed in one direction or another. The Parisian edition of 1867, considered canonical, contains 456 rubai (quatrains according to the rhyme scheme “aaba”, where the 1st, 2nd and 4th lines rhyme with each other), but it, according to researchers of Khayyam’s work, is very far from perfect, because it includes includes poems by other little-known or completely unknown (anonymous) poets.

More recently (in the mid-20th century), European researchers discovered a manuscript containing 252 rubai, which was immediately called “the truly authentic manuscript of Khayyam.” No evidence of its authenticity was presented, and Iranian scientists did not recognize the find. In general, something strange is always happening with Omar’s handwritten legacy - either the “original” of E. Fitzgerald sinks along with the Titanic, then a scroll with verses in Arabic and not Farsi is found, then fragmentary information emerges that Omar served at the court of the Turkish Sultan and his records should be looked for among the treasures of the Constantinople Library that disappeared in 1870-1876 (though it is not entirely clear how to look if the library itself is not in sight).

However, with all this, for completely unknown reasons, it is generally accepted in the scientific world that Khayyam was the largest (!) poet, philosopher and scientist of the so-called Seljuk kingdom. Thus, Omar suddenly turns out to be a notable historical figure who wrote poetry in good literary Farsi (which appeared only in the 17th century), who knew the cosmogony of the times of Copernicus (although in the 11th-17th centuries they did not even think about the spherical shape of planets and stars) and was a Muslim ( despite the fact that the only religion in Persia in the historical period indicated by scientists was sun worship).

In addition, Khayyam for some reason goes against the traditions of Islam, glorifies wine forbidden by the Koran and dies a natural death, surrounded by the respect of his fellow tribesmen, instead of being executed in the square. This is all strange, isn't it?

From all of the above, a picture emerges of the appearance “out of nowhere” of a well-known poet, satirist, scientist and philosopher, “undeservedly forgotten.” more than seven hundred years.

Place of residence of the poet .

First, let's turn to the question of the Seljuk kingdom.

There are no historical monuments, documents or geographical maps indicating the existence of this state in nature. Moreover, the indicated socio-political entity is determined by historians as a “community of nomadic tribes”, supposedly united by a certain ruling dynasty. But nomadic tribes never formed any states, because the state machine (implying the presence of a capital and other cities, the emergence of a bureaucracy, the compilation of archives, the codification of property rights, etc.) would be an obstacle for them when conducting large-scale military operations (campaigns) and movements throughout the region . The simplest example of a “nomadic lifestyle” is the modern Bedouin, whom even totalitarian African and Middle Eastern regimes are unable to “tame.” Nomads are initially focused only on creating temporary settlements and do not recognize any identity cards or state borders. So the existence of a “Seljuk nomadic state” is incredible by definition.

The Iranian city of Nishapur, called the birthplace and death of Khayyam, was built in the tradition of Persian architecture of the mid-17th century. Until this time, a small village could have been located in its place, traces of which, however, have not yet been discovered. Just as there are no more ancient buildings, nor the grave of Omar himself.

Modern “researchers” of Khayyam’s work carefully avoid the question of the language in which most rubai were allegedly written in the 11th century.

It is generally accepted that the poet created Arabic calligraphy in Farsi. But the whole point is that at that time, as is clear from archaeological research, in the region where the poet was supposed to live, the writing was primitive cuneiform on clay tablets. There can be no talk of any paper, ink or developed literary Farsi. All this appeared much later, closer to the 17th century. And if you look carefully at the lexicography of Khayyam’s works, you can make an unambiguous conclusion - the poet relied on a developed culture and language, perfected by more than one generation, was familiar with the basics of versification, etc.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, all this did not exist. Thus, the poet Khayyam most likely lived in the middle and or end of the 16th century, moreover, in a strong and stable state that allowed its subjects to drink alcohol.

The question of the originals of Omar’s manuscripts, which no one has ever seen, is extremely painful for researchers. The scroll that sank with the Titanic was only a reverse translation into Farsi of the published poems of the “discoverer” Fitzgerald. “Khayyam scholars” do not have a single piece of paper by which one could judge the real time of Omar’s work. All scientific “disputes” and “research” are conducted on the basis of assumptions, assumptions and overlap with the works of other writers. In the humanities, this method of “research,” alas, is extremely popular.
It remains only to remember that the monument to the great son of his own people, Omar Khayyam, was erected in his homeland only. in 20th century.

“Omar Khayyam became known to Europeans in March 1859, when 75 quatrains were first published in the translation of Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883), Fitzgerald’s attention to the poems of Omar Khaim was drawn to his friend Professor Cowell, in the summer of 1856. The book, published by Fitzgerald, remained in storage for more than two years in one of the London bookstores, until Omar Khayyam was finally appreciated."

The first tables of the real density of metals were given by A. Lavoisier in 1789.

The philologist Fitzgerald wrote the rubai of the immortal Khayyam, and his friend the natural scientist Cowell wrote his scientific works. They started their own business.

after several years of work by OH together with a group of astronomers. created a new calendar, characterized by a high degree of accuracy. It is interesting to note that the calendar proposed by X was 7 seconds more accurate than the Gregorian calendar developed in the 16th century. While living in Isfahan, X does not give up his studies in mathematics. In addition to theoretical works on the relationship between geometry and algebra, on the method of extracting roots of any degree from integers (this method was based on Khayyam’s formula, which later became known as Newton’s binomial), Khayyam writes a treatise developing the mathematical theory of music.

So, the Arabs FIRST learned about Omar Khayyam at the end of the 19th century. from the Europeans!

This is understandable - the highly learned medieval Arabs could not have degenerated into a wild and poorly educated people - by the 19th century. Now it turns out that Avicenna (in Arabic) was, in fact, unknown until the 19th century. And this is also understandable, since diabetes mellitus, discovered in the 18th century, is described there.

There were many examples before, here is additional evidence, this time from Vernadsky:

It is curious that Regiomontanus, without knowing anything about it, did at the end of the 15th century the same work that was done two centuries before him in the middle of the 13th century by a Persian mathematician in Baghdad, nicknamed Nasireddin. Regiomontanus did not even reach the discoveries that this great predecessor achieved; his trigonometry was still far from the trigonometry of the scientists of the Muslim East.

But at the same time that in the hands of the latter this instrument of scientific thinking was left without application, was buried in manuscripts, forgotten and only revealed historically in the 19th century.. in the hands of Regiomontanus it turned out to be an instrument of the greatest importance, was the first impetus in the collapse of ideas about the Universe, had the greatest influence on the entire course of civilization, since it gave support to navigation on the high seas.

Meanwhile, Muslim mathematicians also applied it to commenting and calculating the same “Almagest”. The reason for the difference was that Regiomontanus could use printing. and this discovery gave a completely different meaning to the new data obtained from computational analysis

So, the entire medieval Arab highly scientific heritage remained UNKNOWN to the world until the end of the 19th century.

The fact is that only in the 18th century did they learn that diabetics have sweet urine! It is indicated in many textbooks and in all encyclopedias. What first. who else in the 17th century. It was the English doctor Thomas Willis who noticed that diabetic urine had a sweet taste.

Dobson proved in 1775 that the substance responsible for the sweet taste of urine is sugar.

Well, Avicenna wrote about this in plain text. Vernadsky explained how this could happen - Arabic manuscripts HISTORICALLY became known only towards the end of the 19th century!

Here's Vernadsky again:

Outstanding gunsmiths, fine artists [of products] from tin, gold, silver were produced for generations in Nuremberg, where by the middle of the fifteenth century. a new metal was discovered - brass. so important for precision scientific instruments. At the same time, the city was distinguished by significant freedom, wealth and ease of communication with the entire civilized world; At the end of the 1460s, it became one of the centers of the new printing business in Central Europe.

In Nuremberg in 1450 - brass, and in K-le, from 1453 - altyn. There wasn't even a penny.
Khayyam was an outstanding Arab mathematician, and although you have a diploma in history (with a complete lack of special historical knowledge), you do not have a diploma in mathematics.

So open any textbook on the history of science and read about the achievements of the great Arab mathematician Khayyam.

Arab culture is a generalized concept,

“The Muslim world heard nothing about Saladin until European legends about his struggle with the crusaders were translated into Arabic in the 19th century.”

with its dates for the first description of tens of thousands of diseases. symptoms, syndromes, acne, etc. People were sick with all of them even before these dates.

And in physics it’s even creepier: all sorts of forces and laws of nature there, scientists tell us, acted long before the creation of man by the dinosaur. So historians of physics are terribly powdering our brains, which have not yet been knocked out of our heads by those same apples.

one must always welcome, even from an opponent, even in the most furious dispute. There is not enough of it on this site and the quotes from Professor Galletis, which I posted here a few days ago, did not seem to evoke a single smile, apart from a grin of animal seriousness.

On the other hand, in the case of medieval Arabic scholarship, we have a compote prepared according to a lost, complex recipe, one of the components of which is the attribution of typically Western European inventions to ancient civilizations. This is a kind of Eurocentrism, when even in the process of inventing history for other civilizations, they do not bother to study the identity of the corresponding local cultures, but simply roll something off their lordly Western shoulder.

Let me remind you again and again that Khayyam invented Newton’s binomial and the Grieg calendar

Dist in this case says that the Arabs, who are the ancestors of the current, blood and linguistic relatives of modern Arabs with a Semitic language, were not aware of all the most important achievements of that CULTURE, which is commonly called Arabic, until the 19th century. According to the version of traditional history, the entire East, where Arab conquerors once penetrated, from the Maghreb in the west to Sogdiana in the east, despite the multiplicity of caliphates, emirates, sultanates and other “ates”, was a huge subcontinental cultural community. Which was based on the common Islamic faith and on the circulation throughout this territory of the Arabic language and Arabic writing. And, if you follow this version of history, the Tajik poet, mathematician, astronomer Omar Khayyam, who wrote in Farsi and is considered a Tajik, was at the same time a major figure in the Muslim = Arab cultural community. By the way, he is credited with translating the works of Avicenna (980-1037) from Arabic into Farsi.
The years of life of Omar Khayyam are 1048-1123 (conventionally considered, the exact year of death is unknown). He first worked in Bukhara, but the main works were carried out by him in Isfahan - the center of the huge Seljuk Empire, which is associated with the heyday of Arab culture - the Arab Renaissance. That is why the Tajiks Avicenna and Omar Khayyam are classified as belonging to the Arab world.
At the same time, as I already said, Omar Khayyam first translated Avicen from Arabic. Which was the main scientific language of the Muslim cultural community.
And he himself wrote not only in Farsi, but also in Arabic - simply because of where he lived and worked.

Dist's statement means the following:
In such a cunning way did the Arabs lose that culture and that science that originally arose in the Arabic language?
At the same time, we remember that the famous conqueror Timur may have chopped off heads immeasurably, but he treated culture, science and crafts with the greatest respect. He collected everything for his Samarkand and carefully preserved it.
Dist's version - this very Arab culture essentially did not exist. Fairy tale.
I only commented to eliminate terminological differences.

Omar Khayyam is a poet, scientist, philosopher, astronomer and mathematician of Persian origin. He is known throughout the world as a great poet, whose poems and sayings carry a deep philosophical meaning. But few people know about the scientist’s other achievements. So, for example, he made a significant contribution to the development of algebra, namely to the construction of classifications of cubic equations and finding their solutions using conic sections.

The name of Omar Khayyam in eastern countries

Iran and Afghanistan remember Omar Khayyam as the creator of the most accurate calendar, which is still used today. The great teacher had no less great students, among whom were such scholars as Muzafar al-Asfizari and Abdurahman al-Khazini.

The scientist lived more than eight centuries ago, so it is not surprising that his biography is full of secrets and inaccuracies. Omar Khayyam lived a very eventful life, in which the features of an oriental upbringing were present. It is interesting that the full name of the philosopher is as follows - Giyasaddin Abu-l-Fatih Omar ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyam Nishapuri. Each name carries a certain meaning:

• Giyasaddin - translated means "help of religion."
• Abul Fatih - it is implied that he is Fatih's father. However, he did not have a son with that name.
• Omar is a personal name.
• Ibrahim is the son of Ibrahim.
• Khayyam is a textile master. This is probably an indication of the father's profession.
• Nishapuri is the location, the place where he comes from.

The early years of the future scientist and poet

The Persian philosopher Omar Khayyam was born in the city of Nishapuri, which was located in Khorasan (currently an Iranian province). His father was a textile worker. The family also had a daughter, Omar’s younger sister, Aisha. At the age of eight, the boy became seriously interested in the exact sciences - mathematics and astronomy. A little later, philosophy was added to his hobbies.

Twelve-year-old Omar Khayyam enters the Nishapur madrasah (analogous to a high school). Later he studied in other madrassas: Baalkh, Samarkand and Bukhara. He graduated with honors from a course in Islamic law and medicine and received the specialization of a hakim, that is, a doctor. However, the future poet did not plan to connect his life with medicine. He was much more interested in mathematics and astronomy. In order to deepen his knowledge in the areas that interested him, Omar Khayyam studied the works of Greek mathematicians and Thabit ibn Kura, a recognized mathematician and astronomer in his time.

The young man's childhood and youth passed during the brutal Seljuk conquests in Central Asia. A large number of educated people, including prominent scientists, were killed. In the preface to his book “Algebra”, he mentions these times and mourns such significant losses for science.

The turning point and further training of Omar Khayyam

At the age of sixteen, Omar Khayyam Nishapuri first encountered the death of people close to him. During the epidemic, his father dies, and soon his mother. After this, Omar leaves his father’s house and sells his workshop, collects his few belongings and goes to Samarkand.

Samarkand in those days was considered the most progressive center of science, culture and art in the East. Here Omar becomes a student at one of the educational institutions. But after a spectacular performance at one of the debates, he so impressed everyone present with his education and erudition that he was promoted to the rank of teacher.

Most of the great minds of that time traveled a lot, not staying in one place for long, as his biography indicates. Omar Khayyam often changed his place of residence, especially in his early years. Just 4 years later, the scientist leaves Samarkand and moves to Bukhara, where he begins to work in a book storage room. Omar spends the next ten years in Bukhara and writes books.

The result of long and hard work is the publication of four thorough treatises on mathematics.

Isfahan period of life

In 1074, an outstanding scientist received an invitation from Isfahan, the capital of the Sanjar state. The invitation came from the Seljuk Sultan Melik Shah I. Having assessed the scientist’s potential, on the advice of the court vizier Nezam al-Mulk, he promoted Omar to the sultan’s spiritual advisor.

After two years of successful service, the Sultan appointed Omar Khayyam as head of the palace observatory, which, by the way, was one of the largest in the world at that time. This position opened up new opportunities for the scientist. Continuing his studies in mathematics, he delved into the study of astronomy and very soon succeeded in this field, becoming a successful astronomer.

Astronomy and mathematical works

With the help of court scientists, he was able to create a solar calendar, which was distinguished by a greater percentage of accuracy compared to the Gregorian calendar. His merit was the compilation of the Malikshah Astronomical Tables, which included a small star catalogue.

One of the most outstanding works of the scientist can be called “Comments on the difficulties in the introductions of the book of Euclid,” which was published in 1077. Three books devoted to this topic were written by Omar Khayyam. Books number two and three contained studies of the theory of relations and the doctrine of number.

In 1092, Sultan Melik Shah died, and the vizier Nezam al-Mulk was killed a few weeks before. The Sultan's son and heir Sanjar and his mother did not like the head of the observatory. It is assumed that the heir's hostility is explained by the fact that when he suffered from smallpox as a child, Omar, who was treating him, in a conversation with the vizier, doubted that the boy would survive. The conversation overheard by the servant was conveyed to Sanjar.

After the death of the Sultan, which is associated with the intensification of Islamist sentiments, Omar Khayyam, who was literally immediately accused of atheism, was forced to promptly leave the capital of the Seljuk state.

The last period of the life of Omar Khayyam

The last period of the scientist and poet’s life was learned from the words of his contemporary Beyhaki, who relied on the story of one of Omar’s close associates. Once, while reading “The Book of Healing,” Omar Khayyam felt the approach of his death. He bookmarked a section that dealt with a difficult metaphysical process called "The One in the Many." After that, he called his loved ones to make a will and say goodbye. Then the scientist began to pray, his last words were addressed to God.

Thus ended the life of the great scientist and his biography. Omar Khayyam opposed traditional religious rites, so only the closest people were present at the funeral. Later his grave took on the appearance shown in the photograph.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and contribution to world literature

During his lifetime, Omar Khayyam was known for his works and discoveries in the scientific field. However, he was also interested in philosophy and poetry. Thus, many poetic aphorisms called rubai were composed by Omar Khayyam. The poems contained the author's thoughts about human life and knowledge.

It is interesting that over the years the number of poems whose authorship was attributed to Omar Khayyam grew steadily and reached 5,000 quatrains. It is known that many freethinkers used the name of the scientist to convey their thoughts to the general public. Scientists believe that Omar Khayyam, whose quotes are so firmly entrenched in the minds of modern literature lovers, composed from 300 to 500 poems. However, it is impossible to determine for certain which of them really belong to the philosopher.

Many of Omar Khayyam’s phrases are replete with free-thinking, open-mindedness, and may also seem blasphemous for that time.

For a long time after the death of the scientist, the name of Omar Khayyam was forgotten. By chance, the recordings of the poems fell into the hands of the English poet Edward Fitzgerald, who, interested in the find, translated the works into Latin and later into English. Since Omar Khayyam wrote about love and life, the book from his rubaiyat became very popular in Victorian England and beyond.

He has poems that can inspire in a difficult period of life, and there are those that will allow the reader to look into the dark depths of his soul. These short poems are permeated with wisdom, sadness and humor; all the most vital and valuable things are collected in the rubai of Omar Khayyam.

The fame of Omar Khayyam quickly spread throughout the world, and knowledge of his work became a sign of education. Interest in Omar's work prompted many to become familiar with other works of his life, thanks to which scientific achievements were rediscovered, rethought and expanded.

His biography is shrouded in legends and speculation. Omar Khayyam is one of the luminaries of world literature, but during his lifetime little was known about his literary achievements. We can only say with confidence that the man was a true genius of his era, talented and gifted in many areas. His poetic genius was distinguished by wisdom, audacity, humor and love. Although it is impossible to say with certainty which rubai were written by the poet himself, nevertheless, almost all quatrains are imbued with philosophical thoughts, combining flexibility of rhythm, clarity and conciseness. Free spirit and freethinking are present in every second poem.

Edward Fitzgerald's free translation became one of the most successful and popular at the beginning of the twentieth century. Later, other writers and amateurs began to translate. Nowadays, Omar Khayyam’s phrases are quoted by everyone: hosts of festive events, in student works, and simply in everyday life if the occasion is right.

Omar Khayyam, whose quotes became widely known and in demand many centuries later, developed the rubaiyat genre and brought it to perfection, leaving a message for subsequent generations, imbued with freethinking that was not accepted in ancient times.

Literary heritage

His world-famous quatrains encourage readers to experience all the earthly human happiness that is available to people. Hundreds of Omar Khayyam's rubai about love and life remind us that every moment of life's journey is priceless and important, telling that the truth, known by a loving heart, is opposed to universal lies and delusions, the sermons of priests and the teachings of ascetics.

True love and true wisdom in Omar’s poems are not mutually exclusive, but go side by side, qualitatively complementing a person’s life. The phrases of Omar Khayyam, passed down from generation to generation, convey the life experience of mankind, filled with vivid images and the beauty of the style.

The poet had wit and sarcasm, thanks to which he was able to create works that could lift the spirit of life in difficult times, which give strength to confront problems, force one to think and reason. Omar Khayyam, whose life wisdom was embodied in his work, made Persian literature famous throughout the world.

The literary work of Omar Khayyam stands separately from Persian poetry, although it is an important component of it. Khayyam became the first author whose literary character is distinguished by rebellion and rebellion. This phenomenon revived literature as such, giving it a certain charm and new breath.

Omar Khayyam, whose poems deny unjust power, religion, stupidity and bigotry, is the author of works that became revolutionary not only for his time, but also for the 20th century. The poet's aphorisms are known in most countries of the world; there is no educated person who has never heard this name - Omar Khayyam. One can only envy and admire the wisdom of this great man’s life and his genius, which was far ahead of its time.

Contributions to mathematics

Omar Khayyam made a great contribution to the development of mathematics. He owns the “Treatise on Proofs of Problems of Algebra and Almukabala”, which deals with the solution of equations of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees, and also provides an analysis of the geometric method for solving cubic equations. He also gave the first definition of the science of algebra that has come down to our times.

In 1077, Omar Khayyam completed work on another important mathematical work - “Comments on the difficulties in the introductions of the book of Euclid.” The collection consisted of three volumes. The first presented the original theory of parallel lines, the last two volumes are devoted to improving the theories of relations and proportions.

1. He was distinguished by extremely freedom-loving thinking for his era.
2. According to contemporaries, he was lazy and a workaholic at the same time, everything depended on circumstances and mood.
3. He did not stand on ceremony when communicating even with high-ranking persons, he had a caustic mind and a phenomenal memory.
4. When Omar Khayyam walked through the streets or participated in symposiums, everyone made way for him with the words: “The Teacher is coming.” He was respected in scientific circles, while priests and other religious leaders disliked him and were sometimes even afraid of him. The denial of traditional religious foundations is what Omar Khayyam stood for.
5. The scientist's books became a breakthrough for that time.
6. Almost nothing is known about his personal life. There is no mention of his wife or children.

Important moments in the life of a philosopher

Life in dates - scientist, poet and philosopher Omar Khayyam:

• date of birth and death - 06/18/1048-12/4/1131;
• study and teaching in Samarkand - 1066-1070;
• moving to Isfahan - 1074;
• writing works on mathematics and astronomy - 1074-1110.

Despite the fact that Omar Khayyam lived more than eight centuries ago, the ideas put forward in his poems are still relevant today. His biography has been marked by difficulties and health problems in recent years. Omar Khayyam was forced to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, which at his age was not the easiest thing to do.

He spent the last years of his life in solitude due to the aggravation of religious sentiments in society and constant persecution on this basis.

Unfortunately, no images of Omar Khayyam have survived, and his appearance remains a mystery to admirers of the work of this outstanding man. However, this did not stop him from erecting many monuments in some Persian-speaking countries and even beyond their borders, as well as painting many portraits that are the embodiment of the artists' vision.

Interesting fact: in Nishapur there is a planetarium named after Omar Khayyam. At the end of 1970, the International Astronomical Union named a crater on the far side of the Moon after Omar Khayyam.

The brilliant Omar Khayyam, whose biography is outlined in the article, is known for his many talents. The most important achievements, whether the poet had a beloved woman in his life, whether the astrologer knew the date of his death, what kind of person he was - you will learn about everything from the article.

Omar Khayyam: biography of the Persian philosopher and poet

Enough information has reached our time about the life path of one of the most famous representatives of the Middle Ages.

The poems of Omar Khayyam are known, the whole world repeats the rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Residents of all countries admire the wisdom revealed by quotes from Omar Khayyam and are amazed at the accuracy of astrological calculations. Find out how geniuses become.

The life path of Omar Khayyam can be divided into the following stages:

• Birth and education.

The future philosopher was born on May 18, 1048 in the northern part of Iran, in the city of Nishapur. Little is known about the family. The father was a Persian tent maker. Information about the younger sister Aisha has been preserved.

For his time, the boy received a good education. Omar Khayyam initially learned the wisdom of life in two madrassas. By our standards, these are middle and high level schools. Upon graduation, he received the specialty of a doctor.

Medicine was not the favorite subject of the future philosopher and astrologer. Already at the age of 8, he fell under the magical influence of simple numbers and fell in love with mathematics.

Fate was not kind to Omar. He was left an orphan early, at the age of 16. After the death of his father and mother, Khayyam sells the house, breaks up with Nishapur, and leaves for Samarkand.

• Life in Samarkand and Bukhara.

The scientific and cultural center of the East greeted Khayyam favorably. During training, the guy was noticed, and after several brilliant performances at debates, he was transferred to mentor.

Four years later, the Samarkand period of his life ends, Khayyam moves to Bukhara.

The work carried out in the book depository helped in the best way to improve in the sciences. Over the course of 10 years, four mathematical treatises were written in Bukhara. The proposed theory for solving algebraic equations and comments on Euclid’s postulates are in demand to this day.

• Astronomer and Spiritual Guide: Life in Isfahan.

Omar comes to Isfahan at the invitation of the Seljuk Sultan Melik Shah. This was a period of boundless confidence in the astronomer and the possibility of scientific growth.

Rumor has it that it was here that he was offered the reins of government as a spiritual mentor. But in response they received the wise words of Omar Khayyam that he could not cope because he did not know how to prohibit and command.

Life in the Iraqi city of Isfahan at the court of Sultan Melik Shah was filled with wealth. Oriental luxury, the patronage of influential people and the high position of head of one of the largest observatories in the world helped him develop as a mathematician and astronomer.

The largest scientific discoveries include the development of a calendar that is 7 seconds more precise than the current Gregorian calendar.

Omar compiled a star catalogue, which has survived to this day under the name of the Malikshah Astrological Tables. He completed mathematical studies of Euclid's postulates and wrote philosophical discussions about being.

The period of prosperity and abundance ended with the death of the patron. This often happens - a new ruler denies the old and chooses new favorites. After being accused of freethinking in 1092, Khayyam returned to his homeland in Nishapur.

• A period of alienation and spiritual loneliness.

Omar Khayyam lived in his hometown until his death. The most vivid impressions were from the trip to Mecca to the Muslim shrines. The road was long, with a short stop in Bukhara.

The decoration of a difficult period of complete deprivation and loneliness was the few students and meetings with scientists. They sometimes came specifically for heated scientific debates.

The known facts from the life of Omar Khayyam are so closely intertwined with speculation and flow from one influential source to another that it is difficult to find the truth. We tried to collect all the interesting information together.

Read the most interesting facts about Omar Khayyam:

• Famous rubai.

Despite Omar Khayyam’s multifaceted talents, it was the rubai that made him popular. The deep meaning contained in them resonated in the soul of modern man.

Small quatrains are easy to remember, but do not belong to great poetic works. This did not stop Omar Khayyam from becoming the most quoted and famous Persian philosopher and poet.

The Rubaiyat gained fame and became available to the general public in 1859 after its translation into English by Fitzgerald.

• Was there a genius?

Omar Khayyam is an iconic figure of the 11th century. His talents and multifaceted knowledge extend to many areas.

Having a medical education, he studied the works of Avicenna. The genius conquered mathematics, philosophy, astrology and even cooking.

Recognizing God, he argued that the established order obeys the laws of nature. Wisdom that was bold for that time in philosophical works was presented tactfully and allegorically, but was repeated in a boyish, bold manner in the rubai.

Multifaceted talents raised doubts about the reality of the existence of such a person. A suspicion arose that under one name was hidden a galaxy of diversely educated and talented people.

More often the press considers two people. Khayyam the poet is shared with Khayyam the mathematician. The reason for doubt was Khayyam the polyglot. His poems were written in the popular Persian language, and for his mathematical works the language of science was chosen - Arabic.

The reality of Khayyam’s existence is confirmed by his biography: the main events of his life are beyond doubt.

• Date of Birth.

The date of birth of Omar Khayyam has not reached our days. To determine it, precise calculations were made using the horoscope. Based on an analysis of the well-known part of the philosopher’s biography and life path, it was determined that he is a Taurus, born on May 18, 1048.

• The truth about family.

Little information has been preserved about the family of Omar Khayyam. Father and mother died early. It is assumed that Omar Khayyam was born into a family of artisans. The basis was the second part of the name - Khayyam, the word translates as ‘tent’.

It is difficult to answer how true this assumption is. But a good education, and Khayyam graduated from several educational institutions, is available to people of the upper classes. This fact allows us to assert that the family of the future genius lived in abundance.

• Was there a woman?

In the biography of the scientist there is no mention of a happy or, conversely, unhappy first love, children, or fatal beauty. We can only guess.

Omar Khayyam's rubaiyat about love comes to the rescue. It is enough to read these lines to understand that nothing earthly is alien to the poet. In his life the passion was hot, hot and ardent. To be sure, read these quotes:

“With the one whose body is a cypress, and whose lips seem to be lal,

Go to the garden of love and fill your glass.”

“The passion for the unfaithful struck me down like a plague.”

“Come quickly, full of enchantment,

Dispel the sadness, breathe in the heat of the heart!”

There is a lot of passion, but there is no attachment, fear of separation, vows of love, or suffering. Nothing that leads to emotional attachment or family relationships.

• Why didn't the philosopher have a wife?

There are two guesses:

1. Fear of setting up a loved one because of one’s own accusation of freethinking and dislike on the part of those in power.
2. Like all philosophers, Omar Khayyam was waiting for his only and perfect love.

• Omar Khayyam - what kind of person is he?

Surprisingly, information remains about what Omar Khayyam was like in everyday life. Like all geniuses, he is a very unpleasant person: stingy, harsh and unrestrained.

• Did Omar Khayyam know the date of his death?

It is difficult to find the main thing among Khayyam’s hobbies. There is no doubt that astrology occupies one of the important places. In practice, this means that Omar created so many tables and directories that it is difficult to count.

For an astrologer, the stars are a reference book, reminiscent of the modern Internet. Did Omar Khayyam know the date of his death? Memories of the closest relative help to get a positive answer.

On his last day, the astrologer did not eat or drink. He devoted all his time to reading “The Book of Healing” by Avicenna. I settled on the “Single and Multiple” section. He made a will, prayed, and bowed to the ground. The last words were spoken to God:

"I'm sorry! Since I have come to know You, I have drawn closer to You.”