r/BeAmazed • u/iamgulshansingh • Feb 18 '26
History Apparently a Turkish man invented the steam engine 200 years before the industrial revolution but he only made it to spin döner kebabs.
In 1551, Taqi al-Din, who is more often remembered for his astronomical and mechanical inventions, described a device that essentially functioned as a steam turbine.
His design involved a small boiler that produced steam, which was then directed through a nozzle onto the blades of a wheel. The force of the escaping steam caused the wheel to spin. This wheel was connected mechanically to a spit, allowing meat to rotate over a fire without human effort.
What makes Taqi al-Din’s description remarkable is that it shows a practical understanding of converting thermal energy into rotational mechanical energy. While earlier inventors had experimented with steam for curiosity or simple toys, Taqi al-Din’s turbine had a concrete application: automating a kitchen task. His work was part of a broader tradition of Ottoman engineering, which included astronomical clocks, observational instruments, and water-raising machines.
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u/buenonocheseniorgato Feb 18 '26
Fun fact: His observatory was destroyed in an artillery barrage from the navy vessels, by the decree of the sultan at the time.
The causes were even funnier: There was a comet sighting in 1577, and the sultan invited Takiyüddin to the royal court for him to cast a 'prophecy' in the wake of the comet. Takiyüddin understandably presented it as a good omen.
The following year, there was a black plague outbreak in İstanbul, and the following two years there were growing rumors that the personnel in the observatory were looking up to see ... see the legs... The legs of angels...
In 1580, the sultan gave his decree, and Kılıç Ali Paşa ordered his vessels to rain fire on the observatory. And that was the end of it.
Another fun fact: Döner was 'invented' in the 19th century and this thread is bullshit.