Bedi’ûz-Zaman Ebû’l İzz El Cezerî; M. 1153-1233 (548-630) yılları arasında yukarı Mezopotamya’nın Cezire (Cizre) bölgesinde Diyarbakır Sultanı emrinde yaşamış, su robotları ve mekanik parçalarla çalışan başka makineler tasarlamış ve bunları günlük hayata geçirmiş dâhi bir bilim insanıdır. El-Cezeri üzerine uluslararası düzeyde çok sayıda çalışma yapılmış ise de aynı şey ulusal düzeyde yapılan çalışmalar için söylenememektedir. Nitekim ulusal düzeyde El-Cezerî’ye ilişkin çok sınırlı sayıda bilimsel çalışmaya ulaşılabilmiştir. El-Cezerî ile ilgili mevcut literatürde yer alan bilgilerin bir kısmı tekrar niteliğinde olup sağlıklı sayılamayacak referanslardan oluşmaktadır. Birbirini yalanlayan bilgilere de bu referanslarda yer yer rastlanmaktadır. Bu nedenle konuya ilişkin literatür üzerinde bir değerlendirme yapmak büyük bir gerekliliktir. Bu çalışmada; El-Cezeri üzerinde yapılan çalışmalar özetlenmiş, tartışılmış ve genel bir değerlendirilmesi yapılmıştır. Böylece bu dahi bilim insanı daha doğru bir şekilde sonraki nesillere aktarılmış olacak ve hakkındaki bilgiler daha doğru ve güvenilir şekilde literatüre kazandırılmış olacaktır.

The Life of Al Jazari The full name of Al-Jazari is “Ebû’l-‘İzz İsma‘il b. er-Rezzâz El-Cezerî”. Al Jazari was born in 1153, in Cezire located in North Mesopotamia Area, had lived in Diyarbakir and died in 1233 in Cizre. He was buried at Nuh Prophet Mosque. He is known at region (among Kurdish people) as Ebûlizê Cizîrî. The name is often confused with Melai Jazeera (Melaê Cizȋrȋ, 1566-1640). Melai Jazeera is another famous Kurdish poet and scientist in Islamic sciences who was also born in Cizre and lives in Diyarbakir. He had spent a large part of his life (80 years) in Diyarbakir and he had performed the most popular of his inventions here. He is called ethnically in the current literature as “Muslim”, “Arab”, “Kurd”, and “Turk”. Mostly, Kurdish people live in Cizre. So it can be thought that ethnically he was probably Kurd. The Scientific Accomplishments of Al Jazari He was an extraordinary scientist designed water controlled robots and water machines working by just water and some mechanical instruments. AlJazari is known as physicist, water and mechanical engineer, as well as a genius in the robotic, matrix, and cybernetics sciences. He is known the first in the history of technology who did robot. The Works of Al Jazari His most popular book is in Arabic and its name is “El-Câmi‘ Beyne’l ‘İlm ve’l ‘Amel En Nâfi‘ Fî EsSınaâ‘ti’l Hiyel”. Its name can be translated in Turkish as “Olağanüstü Mekanik Araçların Bilgisi Hakkında Kitap” and in English as “The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices”. The work consists of six chapters and includes explanations about 50 of different inventions with their technical drawings. The original print of the book does now not exist but 15 of hard copies of it currently exist separately on the world. Literature on Al Jazari Numerous studies on Al Jazari can be found in the international literature. However, the same argument cannot be made for the national literature, because only a few studies can be reached from the national literature. On the other hand, some information about Al Jazari given in the national or international studies is incorrect or contradictory. Furthermore, there are many unconfident materials on the life of Al Jazari in the existing literature. “The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices” edited by Donald Hill is the most popular work published on Al-Jazari. The first scientists who internationally reintroduced to El-Cezerî are Wiedemann, Hauser, Vaux, Coomaraswamy, Sarton, Winter, Needham, White, and Drachmann. The first scientists who nationally reintroduced to El-Cezerî are Konyalı, Akman, Bir, Şen, Tekeli, Dosay, Unat, and Yaşın. Discussions and Recommendations An assessment on the related literature is essentially needed. So, in this work, the existing literature is abstracted, discussed, and reviewed. In this way, Al Jazari is reintroduced to literature more correctly and more confidently for future generations. It is suggested that; 1) It will be useful to make activities on El-Cezeri at the regions he lived and he performed his inventions. 2) His name can be given to universities, research centers, museums, schools, parks, streets at the regions. 3) The movies and documentary films present his life and his inventions should be made. Especially it will be very very good to establish a university with the name of “Al Jazzari Technology University (El Cezeri Üniversitesi)” in Diyarbakir.