I don't like being corrected without a show of authority, so my challenge to you is: what prove do you have? There are so many "oldest universities" and "oldest observatories". Do you happen to be the main archaeologist on Harran duty, or did you look at some webpages? I just found one with similar claims, like "The world's most important and extensive Islamic excavations were undertaken in the heart of the city on Harran 'Höyük' or mound. " and I simply don't believe it.
Two encyclopedia's that I checked have Stonehenge and Babylonian ziggurats as the first observatories (2500 BC). And "university" is such a broad name, any group of wise men thinking about what is and is not, and why, may be called that? So until you give your source I will stick with my memory, which is that this was the area of the Ulu Mosque, built under the Omajjads and extended in 830, restored in 1171-1184 under Saladin.
Another reason is, that many people seem to make the same mistake, use Google and find picture upon picture with this site, from another angle maybe, but almost without exception called the Ulu Mosque.
Well, you cost me another 20 minutes of my life, I hope you are satisfied.
bengu pacun
06-Jan-2006 10:42
I would like to correct the information here because there is no mosque but world's first ancient university that studied the astronomy and this tower was definetely a observatory tower which is also the first one.
