| Islamic Astronomical Bureau | |
| Native Name: | 回回司天監 |
| Formed: | 1271 |
| Preceding6: | --> |
| Dissolved: | 1656 |
| Superseding6: | --> |
| Minister8 Name: | --> |
| Deputyminister8 Name: | --> |
| Chief9 Name: | --> |
| Parent Department: | Office for Confidential Records and Books |
| Child25 Agency: | --> |
| Keydocument6: | --> |
| P: | huí huí sī tiān jiān |
The Islamic Astronomical Bureau was a government agency of Imperial China established in 1271 during the reign of Yuan Emperor Kublai Khan. The bureau was founded in Beijing by the Persian astronomer Jamal ad-Din Bukhari, who originally hailed from Bukhara, and existed alongside the traditional Chinese Astronomical Bureau.[1] Both agencies were subordinate to the Office for Confidential Records and Books. The organization maintained an observatory and a staff of around 40 scholars and administrators, many of whom were Persians and Arabs, and operated through the early stages of the Qing Dynasty, finally ceasing to exist in 1656.[2] Though it existed for nearly four centuries, few records of the bureau remain. Overall, despite its value to the government and significance in the history of Islamic-Chinese cultural exchange in Imperial China, the activity of the Islamic Astronomical Bureau didn't have a strong impact on the procedures and processes of Chinese astronomy.[3]