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Fifth Article
It states that the regions beyond the seven climates are inhabited and have been explored up to the poles, with the climates being determined and the longest day known in each of the seven climates. It further states that based on the longest day, the locations of cities within each climate have been ascertained.
O esteemed one! Know that – although ancient astronomers disregarded and paid no attention to the regions beyond the seven climates, focusing all their attention solely upon them – later astronomers, following the practice in the seven climates, added half an hour to the longest day and counted it as a climate, determining twenty-four climates extending from the equator to the point where the longest day is twenty-four hours—which is the tropic of Cancer. However, since the rule of adding half an hour can be continued up to the southern pole, which is called the world’s south pole, and extends from the north pole, [84/b] they have divided the space between the two poles into six climates, counting one climate for each month that the longest day increases, and have thus determined and ascertained a total of thirty-two climates up to the ninety degree latitude (the poles). They have traveled beneath the polar circle to investigate what lies beyond the seven climates. There they observed inhabited regions; their inhabitants appeared outwardly like humans, but were deficient in morals and behavior, ignorant and inadequate.
They encountered a community below the polar circle who, due to the severity of winter in that region, retreat underground for ten months. They know neither religion nor sect. They possess no manners or any craft or adornment. They know neither embellishment nor worship. They have no customs; they understand nothing of cleanliness nor do they possess any pleasing qualities. They disregard chastity and honor and act according to their appearance.
A large mountain was observed in that region, rising two and a half parasangs high. Beneath it, a gold mine blazes, emitting a smokeless fire into the air. Hot spring waters gush from atop the mountain, flowing as great rivers towards the frozen northern ocean, where they are tempered by the influence of seawater. The frozen seawater is also melted and brought to equilibrium by the influence of these hot rivers. As the ocean’s shores where this hot river flows are not frozen, fish flock to that area. The inhabitants of that region hunt and eat those fish. They sell them to people in distant regions and obtain animal skins in return. Constant snowfall occurs in that region, so the inhabitants remain in the mild cavities formed by these rivers like baths for ten months of the year. Only two months constitute summer, during which time people emerge from their shelters. Because the horizon is constantly below them, the southern hemisphere is never visible to those living in this region; the northern hemisphere, however, is always visible above the horizon.
The movements of the stars and celestial spheres appear in that region like the turning of a millstone. From the place we have described up to the ninety degree latitude (the pole), the longest day varies by as much as a week or even a month, reaching six months. For when the sun—as explained in previous articles—proceeds with its westward movement and reaches the beginning of Aries, it sinks one degree beneath the surface of the earth at the ninety degree southern latitude, and rises one degree from the surface of the earth at the ninety degree northern latitude, which is dark. In this way, after circling through the southern constellations for six months, a night occurs at the south pole and a day at the north pole. For now, the sun has reached the beginning of Libra and entered the southern constellations, having risen from the north pole and set in the south. As the sun passes these constellations over a period of six months, one degree of land remains intensely dark in the region of the north pole, causing the seas in those regions to freeze.
The condition of the south pole is known by comparison with that of the north. In this case, the north pole’s daylight becomes the south pole’s night, and the south’s daylight becomes the north’s night.
Allah, exalted be He, who alternates night and day and turns them, is free from all imperfection.
If one wishes to find the longest day in a climate, it can be found by adding the number corresponding to that climate's half, to twelve and a half hours. For example, if we are seeking the longest day in Erzurum, which is located in the fifth climate, we add two and a half—half of five—to twelve and a half hours, resulting in fifteen. Thus, it is known that the longest day in the fifth climate is fifteen hours. By comparing this, one can determine the climate and quadrant in which a city lies. For example, Erzurum’s longest day is fifteen hours and twelve minutes. First, twelve and a half hours are subtracted from this number (corresponding to an hour). The remaining two and a half, when multiplied by twice the twelve minutes, yields five, [85/a] indicating that Erzurum is in the latter part of the second quadrant of the fifth climate. For each climate’s latitudinal distance is half an hour more, which equals thirty minutes; half a climate is a quarter of an hour, which equals fifteen minutes. Thus, a city with fifteen minutes more is in the middle of the climate, while a city with less than fifteen minutes is at the beginning of the climate. A city like Erzurum, which has more than fifteen minutes, is in the latter part of the climate.
Here is the English translation of the provided text, aiming for faithfulness and preservation of meaning within a classical/Sufi context:
"If from the numbers given, twelve and a half are subtracted, what remains is two and a half. This, when divided by four, yields the number of parallel circles. For there are five climates in all. The rest is determined by comparison.
Thus, just as the conditions of the lands from the equator to ninety degrees north latitude have been known – according to later astronomers – so too has it been known that the regions of the southern hemisphere are similarly arranged. That is, thirty-two climates are divided there as well. For half the world lies south of the equator. For example, if a quarter of the inhabited earth were located south of the equator, it would pass through the Mountains of Kamerun and circle around the blessed Nile River’s source. The second climate would pass through the winter solstice and reach Cape Kortan. For later astronomers have discovered numerous lands at thirty-three degrees latitude in that region. Almost all of its inhabitants are worshippers of idols.
Therefore, if one wishes to determine the total number of climates and their parallel circles, their longest days, latitudes, and distances – all these numbers – it can only be accomplished through the chart [cetvel] which we will provide later.
Only God Most High knows the most accurate account of what exists within His dominion."