Advancements in mechanical engineering in old Iran

Mechanical engineering is the science of creation and transmission of motion in machines and the behavior of matter under the action of force. Design is the ultimate goal in mechanical engineering. Good designs survive forever. In this paper a number of interesting designs from 3rd, 6th and 7th hejri centuries are presented. These designs are ingenious, practical and in most cases applicable to present day’s engineering needs. This study shows that mechanical engineering in old Iran was in a relatively advanced stage and Iranian engineers were competent in the fields of automatic control, mechanisms, fountains, hydraulic circuits, and elevators, machining and polishing of hard materials and precious stones and had many useful innovations and inventions.