The first Qatar National Library (QNL) Heritage Library exhibition opened to the public. The exhibition includes a wide range of items from the Heritage Library that illustrate the spread of ideas throughout the Islamic world, as well as document the interaction between Arabs and the West throughout history. The exhibition features books, manuscripts, maps, globes, and travelers' instruments, telling the story of Qatar and the wider Arab and Islamic worlds.
The exhibition is divided into 12 overlapping sections and topics that cover the history of Qatar, science, literature, women, writing, travel, and religion. Among the highlights of the exhibition are the first printed maps ever to mention Qatar, printed in 1478 and based on a 2nd century map by Ptolemy; several versions of the famous One Thousand and One Nights in various languages; and pages from the Blue Qur’an, one of the most significant examples of early Islamic manuscript production.
“The inaugural Heritage Library exhibition uses a wide range of historical items to put the culture and heritage of Qatar and the Gulf into a global context. Visitors can travel through the centuries, lands and cultures to see how Arabic history unfolded and interacted with the West. They can also see the birth of influential philosophies and scientific theories, giving them a firsthand look at how ideas have evolved,” said Aysha Hassan Al Ansari, Head of the Heritage Collection, QNL.
