Masterpieces from the past and rare copies of the masterpieces of human thought

Mohammed bin Rashid Library.. Prepare to travel back to the beautiful time

• The library takes its visitors back centuries through pages of the past.

  Photography: Ahmed Ardeti

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An experience rich in knowledge and beauty, offered by the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, the new cultural edifice on the Dubai Creek, to its visitors. And the first copies of a wide range of Arab and international books and magazines.

On the seventh floor of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, which recently opened its doors to visitors, and through five sections, the valuable exhibits are distributed, starting from the tale of manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an, through the most wonderful international intellectual and literary works and rare books, to tools of writing arts, pioneering medical letters and ornate atlases, to represent These works are a rich human experience that encourages the expansion of perceptions and learning from the experiences of others, and a unique journey called the love of knowledge.

The Library of Ammunition includes a set of sections, starting with the history of calligraphy, as this section holds holdings related to the Holy Qur’an and Arabic calligraphy, in addition to a set of calligraphy pens, and tools that were used in that ancient art.

This section holds unique manuscripts, and highlights the development of Arabic calligraphy in which the verses of the Holy Qur’an were written, and how the most prominent Qur’ans of the first three centuries were written on parchment of leather, and in Kufic script.

Leather patches inscribed with verses from the Noble Qur’an date back to several centuries, including what was written in the patch script, dating back to the 12th century in the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to patches dating back to the Umayyad era and the beginning of the Abbasid era.

This section is adorned with a group of golden Qurans that bear artistic and historical value, including those dating back to the Qajar era, in addition to patches from other eras.

The exhibits in this section are complemented by a large collection of Arabic calligraphy tools, including gold-embossed ink tank sets dating back to antiquity, and calligraphers’ boxes from the Ottoman period with compartments for storing calligrapher’s tools and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, as well as pens featuring ornaments and inscriptions inlaid with precious stones, including emeralds and rubies.

Literary and historical value

As for the Islamic Heritage in Europe section, it includes a group of translated Arabic books, and it presents some of the translations that highlight the use of science, medicine and mathematics in ancient stages and with the beginning of the entry of the Islamic religion in Europe. Among these books is the history of the Arabs in Sicily, which dates back to 1790, and Arabic Grammar and Grammar by Agapetus Vilmarum, from 1687.

While the Department of World Literature, it constitutes a unique opportunity for visitors to the Mohammed bin Rashid Library to see the first copies of the publications of international creators, and a group of novels and books of literary and historical value.

The displayed collection is replete with precious pearls, some of which fall within the framework of the finest literary production in the world, while what distinguishes them is that many of them are the first editions that enable visitors to go back in time and live the experience of their issuance.

The book “The Divine Comedy”, by Dante Alighieri, which dates back to 1491, is one of the oldest exhibits in the relics department, and it is one of the most important literary productions of the European Renaissance.

The book is a long narrative poem about a journey that takes the reader from the depths of darkness to the manifestation of light.

The copy contains 100 illustrations and poems with explanations.

As for the writer William Shakespeare, he is preparing the second edition of his first book, which contains 36 of his plays, some of which are still shown today.

In addition to the first copies of books, a large number of international books, novels, and collections of international and Arab creators, such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Al-Mutanabi, and Imru’ Al-Qays, in addition to books in Latin and German, emerge.

From the Arab world, distinctive classic titles emerge in this section, such as The Looks by Mustafa Lutfi Al-Manfaluti, Al-Shawqiyat by Ahmed Shawqi, and Al-Aasif by Gibran Khalil Gibran.

captivating magazines

From books to magazines, where the visitor is captivated by the covers of old magazines, the first issue of some of them is displayed, such as the first issue of Majid magazine, in addition to magazines specialized in fashion, art or theater, such as Chic magazine, Al Naqid magazine, Al Jadeed magazine, and Dubai News, which is the first magazine issued in the emirate.

As for the atlases and maps section, it takes the visitor of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library on a journey to maps throughout history, and how they were the way to identify points of convergence and interest between civilizations.

The section highlights how the maps of antiquity were small in size, and of a pictorial nature, as they are often primitive, showing only what the maker wanted to show.

Adjoining the atlas are a group of travel literature, most of which are early and rare editions that present unique human experiences, starting with the novel of a Dutch traveler to Mecca, to the book of the Sultan of Zanzibar on his official journey to Europe.

Celebrating women

The relics department in the Mohammed bin Rashid Library celebrates women’s experiences and highlights the achievements of women since ancient times, and this is first highlighted with a stylized painting from the Mughal era, drawn in ink and gold, showing a scene of a lesson in the open, in which a teacher appears sitting on the ground in the middle of The painting, where he gives a lesson to an Indian princess accompanied by her maids.

In the section on masterpieces of literature, a group of books on women’s rights is prepared, or that appears in Mary Willstonecraft’s book, which is titled “A Defense of Women’s Rights, with Restrictions on Political and Moral Issues.” The library also presents the book “The Role of Women in the Eastern Renaissance.” Hoda Shaarawy.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Library, which includes nine libraries, also includes many distinguished publications by creative pens from different eras.

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Sections containing valuable exhibits are located in the ammunition library, which is located on the seventh floor.

Exhibits abound in the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, which was recently opened with precious pearls, some of which fall within the framework of the finest literary production in the world.

Adjoining the atlases are a group of travel literature, most of which are early editions that offer unique human experiences for lovers of knowledge.

First editions and covers of exquisite magazines sail the visitor to distant years.

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