Abdul Qadir Al-Jaziri

A Kurdish-Arab reformist who pioneered telegraphy and education in the Ottoman Empire

Abdul Qadir Al-Jaziri (1829–1915) was a visionary Kurdish-Arab engineer and educator who modernized communication in the Ottoman Empire. Born in Diyarbakır (modern Turkey), he designed the first Arabic telegraph code system, enabling efficient cross-border communication in the 1860s. His 1869 book <《Telegraphy and Its Applications》 became the definitive Arabic reference on the subject. Beyond technology, he established the first modern schools in the region emphasizing science and secular education.

As director of the Ottoman Telegraph Administration, he expanded telegraph lines across Anatolia and the Levant, connecting Istanbul to Baghdad and Cairo. His work laid infrastructure for future communications networks. Al-Jaziri's contributions are highlighted in the book <《Ottoman Innovators: Abdul Qadir Al-Jaziri's Legacy》 and the Istanbul Science Museum's permanent exhibit. His legacy persists through the Abdul Qadir Al-Jaziri Engineering Prize, awarded annually to innovators in telecommunications.