Brass Globe (IMAGE) University of Sharjah Caption It was the Arabic astrolabe that reached medieval Europe around the 12th century, as did the globe, another highly practical and useful Arab navigational instrument. Some extant European medieval manuscripts show astrolabe drawings in both Arabic and Latin. Credit Science and Technology in Islam, vol. II (Astronomy), published by the Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science at Frankfurt, Germany, in 2003. Usage Restrictions No restrictions License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.