Muhammad Fahri

A Syrian scientist and educator who pioneered modern scientific education in the Arab world during the Ottoman era

Muhammad Fahri (1815-1898) was a polymath scholar from Damascus who revolutionized education in the Arab world. As director of the Syrian Scientific Society, he developed the first Arabic textbooks on physics and chemistry in the 1840s. His published works included translations of European scientific texts into Arabic, which were used across Ottoman schools. He established the first public observatory in Damascus in 1856, which operated until 1914. Fahri also pioneered the use of experimental methods in teaching, creating interactive science labs. His advocacy for women's education led to the opening of Syria's first girls' school in 1862. His contributions are documented in the Library of Congress Ottoman records and the British Museum archives.