Mariam, who loves astronomy and the stars, lives with her family in the city of Aleppo. One day, she discovers that something dangerous is about to happen in the city, something related to the sky. She hears a story about a dragon that wants to swallow the sun. What is the story of the dragon? And what will happen in the city of Aleppo? This story is woven against the historical backdrop of the character Mariam al-Asturlabi, who lived in Aleppo and excelled in the sciences of astronomy and space.

Guide for Parents and Teachers

The grandmother tells Mariam and her sister Noor a tale about a red dragon that swallows the sky, but she never finishes it. Mariam and Noor wait for the end of the story until one day, Sulaiman, a bully, tries to steal the astrolabe from their father's workshop. Because Mariam is fascinated by astronomy and stars, she uses the story of the red dragon and her skills in determining the positions of the sun and moon to trick Sulaiman and prevent him from stealing the astrolabe. The story is fictional but is set against the historical background of the scholar Mariam al-Asturlabi, who developed the complex astrolabe and was credited with laying the foundation for the GPS system we use today.

For Discussion:

• What is the meaning of a legend?
• Where is Aleppo located? What are its most famous landmarks? (Reference to the Citadel of Aleppo during the Hamdanid dynasty)
• Why does an eclipse happen?
• What happens to animals during an eclipse?
• What instruments did Muslims use to determine locations?
• How did Mariam manage to determine the time of the eclipse?
• Name some constellations.
• In your opinion, what were the reasons that prompted Mariam to use the legend of the dragon to scare Sulaiman?
• Did you notice that Sulaiman was spying on the grandmother as she told the story?
• Why did Mariam become known as Mariam al-Asturlabi?
• There is a fictional part and a real part in Mariam's story; can you distinguish between them?
• If you were in Mariam's place, what would you do to protect your belongings?
• Name other mythical creatures (Ghoul, Phoenix, Dragon).
• Choose one of these creatures and write your own legend.