Qatar National Library, in collaboration with the Center for Manuscript Studies at Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University in Istanbul, Turkey, hosted a lecture, “Manuscript Studies: Disciplines and Approaches,” on 27 February 2022. The event was part of a series of lectures on manuscript studies that features renowned international experts in Islamic codicology and related fields.
Idham Hanash, Professor of Manuscripts and Islamic Arts and Director of the Encyclopedia of the Arabic Manuscripts at the House of Manuscripts in Istanbul, delivered the lecture, which discussed the methods for studying manuscripts and their cognitive trends, as well as manuscript science. The lecture was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State, Qatar and President of Qatar National Library, and Mohammed Fatih Kaya, lecturer at Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University.
Commenting on the event, Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State, Qatar and President of Qatar National Library, said: “The world still looks with a keen eye at Arab and Islamic heritage through the manuscripts of scientific and scholarly works, which are undisputedly the most important intellectual achievement of Arab-Islamic civilization. The protection of Arab and Islamic manuscripts reflects a key part of our responsibility to contribute to the preservation of these important heritage items.”
“I would like to thank the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University for their valuable participation in this lecture. I hope this and future lectures will educate and provide members with knowledge on the unique subject of manuscripts,” he added.
Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University’s participation with the Library in the lecture is part of a wide range of fruitful cooperation with Turkish cultural institutions. The Library signed a strategic Memorandum of Cooperation with the Nation’s Library (NsL) of the Republic of Turkey to expand knowledge in the fields of education, science and culture, and promote the development of librarianship. In addition, the NsL also donated 400 books by popular Turkish authors to the Library, covering topics such as politics, public affairs, research and cuisine. The books helped to expand and diversify the Library’s existing collections and help the local community learn more about Turkey and its people.
The next monthly manuscript studies lecture series entitled, “Types of Authorship and its Relations in Arab Heritage," will be held on 13 March 2022 and delivered by Kamal Arafat Nabhan, Professor of Information Science. Professor Nabhan authored the book, The Genius of Arabic Authorship: Text Relations and Scientific Communication, which has won international awards and is taught as part of academic courses in several Arab universities for postgraduate studies.
The Library continues to provide educational and informative sessions to bridge the gap between the study of Islamic manuscripts and contemporary cultural awareness. To stay updated about these opportunities, please visit the Events page on the Library’s website (www.qnl.qa/en/events).
