Qatar National Library (QNL), in collaboration with the Centre for Manuscript Studies at Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University in Istanbul, Turkey, hosted a lecture on Manuscript Studies: Disciplines and Approaches, recently. The event was part of a series of lectures on manuscript studies that features renowned international experts in Islamic codicology and related fields.
In his lecture, Professor Idham Hanash, Director of the Encyclopedia of the Arabic Manuscripts at the House of Manuscripts in Istanbul, discussed methods for studying manuscripts and their cognitive trends, as well as manuscript science. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Minister of State and President of the Qatar National Library, and Mohammed Fatih Kaya, lecturer at Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University, inaugurated the lecture.
“The world still pays attention to the Arab and Islamic heritage through the manuscripts of scientific and scholarly works, which are without a doubt the greatest literary and intellectual achievements of Arab-Islamic civilization,” Dr. Al Kawari said regarding the event. The protection of Arab and Islamic manuscripts represents an integral part of our responsibility to contribute to the preservation of these valuable items. “I would like to thank Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University for their valuable participation in this lecture. “I hope this and future lectures will educate and provide members with information about manuscripts as a unique subject,” he concluded.
Fatih Sultan Mehmed Waqf University’s participation in the lecture is part of a wide range of successful cooperation with Turkish cultural institutions. In order to expand knowledge in education, science and culture, and promote the development of librarianship, the library signed a strategic Memorandum of Cooperation with the Nation’s Library (NsL) of the Republic of Turkey.
Additionally, the NsL donated 400 books by popular Turkish authors to the library that cover topics such as politics, public affairs, research, and cuisine. In addition to helping the library expand and diversify its current collection, the books helped local residents gain a better understanding of Turkey and its people.
On March 13 Kamal Arafat Nabhan, Professor of Information Science, will present the next manuscript studies lecture entitled “Types of Authorship and its Relationship in Arab Heritage.” Professor Nabhan is the author of a book entitled The Genius of Arabic Authorship: Text Relations and Scientific Communication, which has received international awards and is taught in various Arab universities.