Ismail Mustafa al-Falaki

Ismail Mustafa, Ismail Effendi Mustafa, Ismail Bey Mustapha, Ismail Mustafa al-Falaki or Ismail Pasha al-Falaki (1825 – 27 July 1901) was an Egyptian astronomer and mathematician. Effendi, Bey and Pasha corresponded to the different ranks he attained along his career; "al-Falaki" was added to his name literally meaning "the astronomer". He was born in Cairo to a family of Turkish origin and was educated in Paris, France.

Scientific career Egyptian astronomy has ancient roots which were revived in the 19th century by the modernist impetus of Muhammad Ali who founded in Sabtieh, Boulaq district, in Cairo an Observatory which he was keen to keep in harmony with the progress of this science still in progress. The staff at this establishment were recruited from among the best students of the Boulaq École polytechnique (Polytechnic), headed by Charles Joseph Lambert, a French engineer. Thus, Ismail Mustafa entered the Observatory after his technical studies.

Charles Joseph Lambert, wanting to give greater impetus to the intellectual movement which was germinating in the country and to respond to the aspirations of Viceroy Abbas I, easily obtained the sovereign's acquiescence to the sending to Europe, in 1850, of three young engineers chosen from among the best graduates of the Bulaq École polytechnique. Mahmoud Hamdi (Mahmoud Pasha al-Falaki), Ismail Mustafa and Hussein Ibrahim were appointed to complete their studies in France.

On the return of Ismail Mustafa to Egypt, after 14 years of stay in Europe, the Khedive Isma'il Pasha taking into consideration the wise advice suggested by Urbain Le Verrier to his predecessor to put Boulaq Observatory on the same level as similar establishments in Europe, instructed him to set up a new observatory, which was established in 1868 at Abbassia, and would later be transferred to Helwan, in 1903. Ismail Mustafa al-Falaki took charge of the Abbassia Observatory which became the Khedival Observatory.

In 1873 Ismail Mustafa was delegated to the International Statistical Congress in Moscow, where the Tsar conferred on him the rank of Commander in the Imperial Order of Saint Anna.

In 1954, the connection of the southerly extension of the Struve Arc with an arc running north from South Africa through Egypt brought the course of a major meridian arc back to land where Eratosthenes had founded geodesy.