Sun Dial

Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Turkey

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With Aramean Inscription

1st. Century B.C.

Madain Saleh.

Sandstone.

The concave inner side of the half dome shaped dial is divided into twelve parts by eleven radial lines. The rod, perpendicular to the center, is the pointer. The shadow of the pointer falls on the radial lines as the sun moves.

Although the system of dividing the time passing between the sunrise and sunset into twelve equal units was used in Mesopotamia as early as the Sumerian times this type of dial is known as the Babylonian dial.

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Sun Dial

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Source:  Istanbul, Turkey