The City of Toledo
Toledo is a city in the north of Spain. It played major roles under both Muslims and under the Christians. From the days of Maslama (Al-Majriti) and Al-Zarqali to the days of Alfonso the Wise, the meridian of Toledo was for long the standard of computation for the West.(1) Al-Zarqali devised astronomical tables for Toledo, which were then used as a source for reference by his Western followers, just like we use Greenwich today for the time. The tables for the meridian of Toledo were adapted to various European places. This was done by Raymond of Marseilles in Marseilles, Walcher of Malvern in England and by Roger of Hereford. The latter adapted the astronomical tables that existed for Toledo and Marseilles to the meridian of the city of Hereford, using the Christian calendar ‘because the years of the Arabs and their months are difficult to our people who are not accustomed to them.’(2) 
References: 1 C.H. Haskins: Studies in the history of Mediaeval Science; Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. New York. 1967 ed. P. 18.
2 D. Metlitzki: The Matter of Araby in Medieval England, Yale University press, 1977; p.38.
by: FSTC Limited, Wed 23 April, 2003
 
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