Sharjah 24: José Luis del Valle Merino, Director of the Royal Library of El Escorial, said that the common cultural legacy shared by Spain and the Arab world is underscored by Sharjah’s hosting of the Arabic Manuscript Collection of El Escorial, “This event contributes to raising awareness of the library's significance and its role in preserving the manuscript heritage among European peers.”
His comments were made on Monday during a seminar held on the sideline of the exhibition, organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) in collaboration with El Escorial library. The exhibition is open to the public between April 2 - 9 at the Sharjah Book Authority. The seminar was moderated by Shaikha Al Mutairi, Head of the National Heritage Department at Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage, in the presence of His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA.
During the session, Merino said, "The Royal El Escorial Library contains more than 4,000 manuscripts, including 2,000 in Arabic. We have carefully selected a unique and rare collection of them to display in Sharjah, which has provided us with an exceptional opportunity to introduce the public in the UAE and the Arab world to the shared cultural history between Spanish and Arabic cultures."
“El Escorial is one of the most important libraries in Europe as well as the world, preserving priceless manuscripts, including a copy of the Holy Quran (known as Mushaf Moulay Zidane) dating back to 1599 AD, and as part of the exhibition, it is being showcased for the first time outside Spain,” he went on to say.
“The library is also taking steps to digitise its manuscripts and make them accessible on the internet through a multilingual guide with detailed information and images. Arabic will be included in the upcoming phase,” Merino further remarked.
During the seminar, the director displayed images of the handwritten Quran, highlighting its rich Moroccan decorations on most of its pages. The diacritical marks were in red, and surah headings were in Kufic script on a blue background.
The seminar also included an overview on El Escorial library, showcasing a photobank of its sections, history, inscriptions, and the architectural art that distinguishes it, where Merino discussed their significance and the scientific and philosophical backgrounds they carry.
Merino also touched upon the history of the library, which is located in the historic San Lorenzo de El Escorial royal palace, which manifests Spain's history, built under the directive of King Philip II in 1537 and completed in 1596, with half of the building serving as a monastery and the other half as a school.
The director added that the El Escorial library was not initially designed to preserve manuscripts. Still, officials worked on providing a safe place for the thousands of Arabic and Greek manuscripts they had acquired, taking into account humidity levels to preserve the manuscripts.
The exhibition is open to the public from April 2 to April 9 between 9 pm and 1 am at the Sharjah Book Authority's headquarters. It offers an opportunity to view 14 rare manuscripts from the 13th to 16th centuries, gain insights into Spain's rich heritage of Arabic manuscripts, and learn about the contributions of Arab scholars to the fields of literature, science, and philosophy.
For an optimal experience, please
