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Bartın University
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“Abjad Number System Workshop” was held with the participation of Msc. Wilfred de Graaf from Utrecht University

On Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 10:00 on Thursday, May 29, 2025, a "Workshop on Abjad Number System" was held in ED-K1-9 in Mehmet Akif Ersoy Classrooms with the participation of Msc. Wilfred de Graaf from Utrecht University. During the presentation, Dr. İrem Aslan Seyhan helped students follow the content better by providing instant translation support to our guest, Wilfred de Graaf. In addition, the Department of English Translation and Interpreting students made a significant contribution to our event by translating the dialogues between Graaf and the participants.
The Abjad system, which was used in the medieval Islamic world and assigns numerical values to letters, was discussed in detail in the workshop. Participants were given worksheets with various exercises to facilitate their understanding of the system's logic. The number value corresponding to each Arabic letter was shown in these documents. It was also shared that the Abjad system takes its name from a specific sequence of the Arabic alphabet (Abjad; alif, ba, jim, dal: 1,2,3,4). It was emphasized that in the Abjad system, the numbers are written from right to left, and the way they are written may differ at the beginning, middle, or end of the word. In this context, number forms created using Arabic letters were introduced. It was stated that these numbers were also used in the astrolabe, a historical astronomical tool.
The event consisted of two parts. In the first part, the participants were taught the Abjad number system. In the second part, the practical application of the system was carried out. Students reinforced their learning by reading the numbers on an astrolabe made in 1713/4 and now on display in the Oxford Museum of the History of Science. This exercise was based on a model of an Ottoman astrolabe based on the location of Istanbul at latitude 41 and the year 2000. The students were also presented with a historical table of the degrees used in the construction of the astrolabe dating back to 1577. By reading the astronomical data on the astrolabe and this table, the students had the experience of applying the knowledge gained in the workshop.
The exercises on the worksheets were solved by the students with interest and pleasure. The 60 system used in calculations was explained with examples, thus revealing the effects of the calculation methods of the medieval scientific world on today's scientific world.
At the end of the program, Msc. Wilfred de Graaf was presented with a certificate of appreciation for his contributions.

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