Journal of Ottoman Calligraphy

Designated as a National Resource Center of Excellence, the Center for Near Eastern Studies supports the enrichment of the UCLA Library’s sizeable material collection which is available to students and scholars, researchers and professionals, precollegiate teachers and the public.

The Library’s Middle East and Islamic studies research collection is the largest in the western United States, with over 500,000 volumes including publications from the Middle East and from diaspora communities in the West. Middle East Bibliographer David Hirsch maintains a web portal and numerous specialized databases to assist researchers. The Department of Special Collections houses over 10,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Ottoman Turkish and Persian. Other specialized collections are housed in the Art, Biomedical, Music and Law Libraries.

The Gustav E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies at UCLA encourages, coordinates and integrates instruction and research in the humanities and the social sciences, business, law, medicine and the media, and in all languages essential to an understanding of the Near East. The Center pioneered study and research on the large and diverse Middle Eastern American communities in the United States. As one of the largest National Resource Centers in the US, CNES fosters public education programs and research projects of interest to the academic and professional communities and to the broader public in metropolitan Los Angeles and throughout Southern California.

The Center serves as a conduit for contacts among scholars of the Middle East and the Islamic world through its resident scholar program. Visitors appointed as Center Fellows can make use of UCLA’s extensive research facilities, including a rare manuscript collection and library holdings that are the second largest in North America. The Near East Center is an intellectual home for scholars from various academic institutions in California and for independent scholars who contribute to the regular program of colloquia, workshops, lectures, conferences and a variety of outreach activities sponsored year-round by the Center.

Center for Near Eastern Studies
10286 Bunche Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1480
Campus mailcode: 148003
Tel: 310-825-1181
Fax: 310-206-2406
cnes@international.ucla.edu

Source:http://www.isop.ucla.edu/cnes/

Named after the great Abbasid dynasty library established in 832 and destroyed in the last invasion of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258, the House of Wisdom had been installed in 1995 in one of the few surviving 13th century Abbasid structures in Baghdad. This building was the site of the first Iraqi parliament. The institution had a small collection of 100 manuscripts but these included a 9th century Koran and an Ibn Sina text of philosophy. The institution possessed a 5,500-volume set of documents from the British foreign office, US congressional documents concerning the 1940 coup in Iraq, a number of documents concerning the Jewish community in Baghdad, as well as Ottoman property registrations and court documents. Although these collections were all copies, the originals were held in the National Library and may have burnt.

On April 11, the facilities were looted. An Ottoman costume exhibit was looted in addition to furniture and moveable parts of the building. The looters retuned the next day, stealing the library’s most valuable manuscripts and books. The facility was then torched. Witness have reported that the arsonists \”were instigated,\” according to Al-Tikriti’s report, which does not indicate by whom. Books from the collection have been seen for sale on the streets of Baghdad.

Source: http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/IRAQ/mela/melairaq.html

The semi-private al-Awqaf Library, founded in 1920, is the oldest heritage institution in Iraq. It is situated near the Ministry of Health in Baghdad. It contained 45,000 rare printed books of which 6,000 were in the Ottoman script as well as a number of special collections. The staff was able to put 5,250 of 7, 000 in safekeeping, including a collection of Korans.

Spurr’s report does not contain a comprehensive description of the horrible fate of this institution, but the Middle East Library Association has published on its web site an earlier report by University of Chicago graduate student Nabil Al-Tikriti in June 2003 and another report written a year later by the Iraqi archivist Zain Al-Naqshbandi.

On April 13 or 14, 2003, arsonists completely destroyed the library. All of the 45,000 books, including Ottoman manuscripts and a collection of rare medical texts, were burnt, and much of the library’s equipment such as Xerox machines, air conditioners, and bookbinding materials appears to have been looted previously (looting of equipment was the rule for other libraries as well). The 5,250 manuscripts remain undamaged.

The US military bears responsibility for the destruction of another 1,744 manuscripts. These had been removed before the fire and placed under armed guard at the Qadiriyya Mosque complex. Operating under a policy to shoot armed Iraqis on sight, US forces killed the guard on April 13. The al-Awqaf staff returned these manuscripts to the library, now unguarded because of the American \”rules of engagement.\” These manuscripts were either looted or incinerated.

The arson itself bears a particularly suspicious and notorious character in Iraq. According to Al-Tikriti’s report and press accounts at the time, approximately 15 Arab males using an incendiary substance systematically burned the library. Two other men from this group videotaped the arson.

Many Iraqis believe, as the American press has also reported, that the arsonists, based on the dialect they were overheard using, were Kuwaitis. This supposition, however, remains unproven.

No international agency appears to have come to the assistance of this library.

Source:http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/IRAQ/mela/melairaq.html

The Iraqi National Library and Archive contained 12 million documents. In addition to a substantial book library, it may have had the largest collection of Arabic newspapers in the world. It housed documents from the period of the Hashmenite monarchy (1920-1958) and the Turkish Ottoman period (1534-1918) as well as documents from the Republican period after 1958 to recent times.

Shortly before the invasion in 2003, staff members and Shia clerics removed nearly 40 percent of the book collection and some of the documents for safekeeping. Clerics also had a steel door to one of the collections welded shut and it remained safe.

An entire wing of the library, the Old Library, was almost completely destroyed. This area housed documents from the Republican era, which may have been the reason for the fires.

Also completely destroyed was the microfilm collection of periodicals and other documents. Dr. Saad Eskander, the library’s Director-General, estimates that 60 percent of the Hashmenite documents were destroyed.

A portion of the documents that were removed by the Islamic clerics faced another disaster. These were stored in the basement of the Board of Tourism, which was deliberately flooded by looters.

Dr. Saad B. Eskander, Director General of the Iraq National Library and Archive, has described the events of mid-April, 2003 as a “national disaster beyond imagination.”

Source:http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/IRAQ/mela/melairaq.html

The library was opened to the public on 20 July 1984 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The foundation goal was to gather valuable manuscript collections around the country. Its complex consists of three stories which include 14 bureau, 3 depots and 4 reading halls. The usable field is 723 m2.

YUSUFAĞA MANUSCRIPTS LIBRARY

It was built by Yusufağa, the steward of Mihri Şah Sultan, Selim III’s mother. It is owned today by the General Directory of the Pious Foundations (Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü) in Ankara. Its complex consists of a single story with a dome. The usable field is 110 m2. It is bound to the Bölge Manuscripts Library.

MAKING USE OF BÖLGE (DISTRICT) MANUSCRIPTS LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

Directly From the Books: Researchers, after scanning the catalogues (on Dewey system) and filling in a request form, can see the books they are looking for. They should fill in a separate form for each book they are interested in it. After this process, the book is made ready in front of them. However it should be noted that except studying on different copies of a certain book, it is not possible to see all the books they want to see at once; only one book can be delivered on a certain time. The books are checked by the employee (who is in charge of delivering it) before the delivery. And they are checked when researchers submit them back to make sure that no harm is done to the books. The check includes miniatures, pages, in fact any small details on/in the books. Researchers can use their laptop computers if it does not have a camera.

The request forms should be submitted between 8.00 and 12.00 in the morning, and between 13.30 and 16.30 in the evening. The books which are being repaired cannot be delivered for study. In this case, a CD or microfilm of the book can be presented for the study if there is one. Book delivery times can be changed by the Governorship of Konya when necessary. The Library is also open on Saturdays.

Previously, foreign researchers needed to be in possession of valid “study permission” obtained via the representatives Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their homeland, and for short-term researches the library administration is authorized to give such permission. But according to a Karar (decision) issued on the Resmi Gazete (Official Newspaper) dated 10 November 2003 (karar no. 2003/6270), the library administration is authorized to give short as well as long term permisssions of study for foreign researchers. So, foreign researchers no longer need to have a “study permission” obtained via Turkey’s representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in their homeland.

To be able to make use of library collections, a researcher:should leave a valid ID card to the information desk at the entrance, while studying the books, should put them on the table; not take it at hand or put it on knees, should not lean on the books, should not write down on the books, should not copy in any form, should not touch pages directly; should place a paper under her/his fingers during the reading, should not get her/his finger wet during turning the pages, should use only soft pencils during the whole study. Pen is not allowed.

To be able to get CD or micro film, a researcher should apply to the directorate of the library with a form in which he/she fills in:

- Register number of the book he/she wants to study on,

- His/her name and surname

- Page numbers she/he wants to obtain a copy,

- Purpose of the study

It is important to note here that the researcher should make a written agreement that in case his/her study in which a collection from the library used is published, he/she will deliver a copy of it to the library. The agreement should be accompanying of a copy of his/her ID card.

In case the library directory sees it appropriate, the CD or microfilm is submitted to the researcher following the payment of the necessary fees according to “the rules and regulations on making use of works belong to public institutions” issued on the Resmi Gazete (Official Newspaper) dated 16 October 1986 and numbered 19253. For the foreign researchers the same procedure is to be applied.

MAKING USE OF YUSUFAĞA LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

To be able to study at Yusufağa Manuscripts Library, researchers should make an appointment with the Bölge Manuscripts Library as it is attached to this main library. Bölge Manuscripts Library’s telephone numbers are as follows: +90.332.3511216, and Telephone and Fax:+90.332.3507225. Other procedures are the same as in the Bölge Manuscripts Library. There is further possibility of using our computers while making use of the CD’s of the works located in Yusufağa Manuscripts Library.

CULTURAL SERVICES

At the Bölge Manuscripts Library complex, calligraphy and Ebru (the Turkish Painting Art) courses are being organized for more than a decade. Its halls can be used for some cultural and artistic activities and expositions as well. Many artists use its hall as location for their expositions.

Konya Bölge (District) Manuscripts Library
Adress: Bahçelievler Mah., Yavuz Selim Cad. No.152 Meram/KONYA/TURKEY
Tel:+90.332.3511216 Fax:+90.332.3507225

Source: Konya Bölge (District) Manuscripts Library

Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation was established in London in 1988 by the Yamani Cultural and Charitable Foundation. It is housed in a historic Jacobean manor: Eagle House. The Foundation has as its aim the documentation and preservation of the Islamic written heritage. It is pursuing this aim principally through its work in surveying, cataloguing, editing and publishing Islamic manuscripts. (more…)

The Beit al-Qur’an collection of Qur’anic manuscripts is one of the most comprehensive of its type in the world. This great collection includes magnificent calligraphic works from as early as the first century hijra (7th / 8th CE) to the present day, from all regions of the Islamic world, from China to Andalusian Spain. Manuscripts from 1st and 1st/2nd century of hijra are available at this website. It is a privately-owned collection. More information about Beit al-Qur’an and other museums in Bahrain is also available.

BEIT AL QUR’AN,
P.O. BOX 2000,
MANAMA, BAHRAIN

TEL. (973) 17290101
FAX (973) 17292709
Email alquran@batelco.com.bh

Timings are:
Saturday to Wednesday:
Morning : 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 Noon
Evening : 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.

Thursday : 9.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

This museum was established in 1923 by the Islamic Legal Council in Palestine. The manuscript collection of the Islamic Museum consists entirely of masahif of the Qur’an, numbering 644, donated over centuries to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Some were presented by rulers and private individuals, and others have been donated by such Palestinian cities as Hebron and Nablus.

The Qur’anic manuscripts vary in type, age and size. Many are rab`at (i.e., they were copied in thirty fascicles and stored in a chest, or rab`a). The oldest is Kufic, from the end of the second century after hijra, while the most recent is a copy from the thirteenth century after hijra. Sizes range from 16 x 11.5 cm. to the massive second volume of the Qur’an of the Mamluk Sultan Qa’t Bay (r. 872-901/1468-1496), which measures 110 x 90 cm. and is 15 cm. thick. The majority of the Qur’anic manuscripts are splendidly illuminated and decorated , the exceptions being for the most part the copies of the late Ottoman period. (more…)

This library has one of the oldest (established in 861 AH/1457 CE) collection of Islamic manuscripts in the Muslim world and the most important in Iran.It has about 29,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. Of the 29,000 manuscripts it possess, 11,000 are manuscripts of the Qur’an, thus making it the largest Qur’anic manuscript collection in the world. It is also important in that it contains a large number of magnificent, old and illuminated Qur’anic manuscripts, including several old Kufic Qur’anic manuscripts written on deer skin, other with marvellous illuminations from 3rd century hijra (9th century CE) onwards, and some written by famous calligraphers. The manuscripts are catalogued in various publication as can be seen in the reference below.

[1] G. Roper (ed.), World Survey Of Islamic Manuscripts, 1992, Volume I, Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, London, pp. 481-486.

The manuscript collection in Dar al-Kutub is regarded as one of the largest and most important in the world. The total number of manuscripts in this library are 50,755 out of which 47,065 are in Arabic, 996 in Persian and 2,150 in Turkish. (more…)

The Great Mosque of San`a’, established in 6th year of hijra when the Prophet(P) entrusted one of his companions to build a mosque. It is considered to be the first mosque in Yemen and among the oldest in Islamic world. The mosque was extended and enlarged by Islamic rulers from time to time. The manuscript collection (ca. 7,000) of the Great Mosque is housed in three libraries in the mosque complex. (more…)

by Efim A. Rezvan
(St.Petersburg, Katta-Langar, Bukhara, Tashkent)

Since the late 15th century, the Qur’anic manuscript, one of the most important in the world, was preserved in the memorial complex of the ‘Ishqiyya Sufi brotherhood in the small village of Katta-Langar, some 100 km to the south of Samarqand. It was venerated for centuries as a genuine copy of the ‘Uthmanic Qur’an, written in the hand of the third righteous caliph and bearing traces of his blood.

Ninety seven large parchment folios in Hijazi script dated to the 8th century A.D. are held now in St. Petersburg, Katta Langar, Bukhara and Tashkent. They contain approximately half the text of the Qur’an. The history of the manuscript spans at least twelve centuries and tells a remarkable tale of dynasties and states, cities and people. It is, in essence, the story of Islamic civilisation itself, from its emergence in Arabia in the seventh century to the triumph of Islam, which survived and outlasted communism in the Muslim republics of the former USSR.

Prof. Efim Rezvan, author of the project, is the well known specialist in Qur’anic studies, Deputy Director of the Kunstkamera Museum and Editor-in-Chief of “Manuscripta Orientalia”, International Journal for Oriental MSS Research. His latest book “The Qur’an and Its World” received the UNESCO award (”for the important contribution to the culture of non-violence and dialogue among the civilisations”), the title of the best book published in Russia in 2001 and the World Prize for the Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2002).

New monograph of the scholar presents a thorough study of the manuscript, viewing it historically through the prism of how the Qur’anic text was gradually established. The study is equipped with a facsimile reproduction of the manuscript (black and white in the book and in full colour in the DVD). The DVD also contains video film by Efim Rezvan and Sasha Abashkin “Searching for the Qur’an of ‘Uthman” (52 minutes). The story of the Muslim scripture based on the unique manuscript and field materials could be very important for mutual understanding and inter-confessional dialogue both in Russia and world-wide.

Copyright © 2000-2004 by Thesa Publishers. All Rights Reserved.

by E.A.Rezvan

In the early 1960s, a collection of exquisite, enamel-encrusted gold cigarette cases adorned with diamonds, sapphires, rubies was bequeathed to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. They were the gift of a somewhat mysterious elderly man named Charles Antoine Roger Luzarche d’Azay. Nearly every cigarette case bears a strange Arabic inscription. Many of them were decorated with ornaments based on Islamic art traditions. (more…)

The history of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies can be traced back to 1818, when the Asian Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg. The Museum was keeping the Eastern antiquities and books of the famous collection of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great. The collection was enhanced during the XIX century through the voluntary donations of the personal libraries and archives of envoys, travellers, statesmen, merchants and scholars. In 1930 the Institute of Oriental studies was organized on the base of the Museum, in 1951 it moved to Moscow, keeping the Branch in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. From 1996 to 2003 St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies was headed by a famous specialist on history of China and Central Asia Professor Evgeny I. Kychanov. (more…)

The Skilliter Centre for Ottoman Studies supports research into the history, literature and culture of the Ottoman Empire. It seeks to encourage knowledge and understanding of a major Muslim empire with large European and Mediterranean territories, and to assist scholars from many disciplines in exploring connections between their own work and Ottoman studies. It is the only research centre devoted purely to Ottoman Studies in the UK and Western Europe and has an international profile. The Skilliter Centre, which has no political affiliations or agenda, is administered by Newnham College, Cambridge, and receives support from a generous legacy from Dr Susan Skilliter, formerly University Lecturer in Turkish. (more…)