Image taken from Qatar National Library website.
The Heritage Library situated in the heart of Qatar National Library has a rare collection of the most valuable and expensive books, manuscripts, historical photographs which talk about Qatar the Arabian Peninsula and the Arab, Islamic civilization.
The Heritage Library designed as an archaeological site symbolizes the connection between the past and present. It is one of the most amazing parts that any visitor to the Qatar National Library shouldn’t be missing.
“Unfolding the Arab history is the main focus of the Heritage Library. Everything at the Heritage Library is digitalized. Public or researchers can access to the entire collection at the reading room with a library membership,” said Aysha Hassan Al Ansari (pictured), Head of the Heritage Collections, QNL.
The Heritage Library welcomes visitors with the word ‘Iqra’ meaning ‘read’ in Arabic on its front door symbolizing the importance of reading for knowledge and enlightening.
The Heritage Library consists of more than 26,000 printed books; 4,000 manuscripts; 70,000 photographs; and 1,400 maps, as well as numerous atlases, globes, travellers’ instruments, historical items related to Arabic cinema, and extensive archival materials.
The Qatar National Library’s one-millionth book, a rare 843-year-old manuscript copy of Sahih Al Bukhari, is also part of the Heritage Library.
The oldest document at the Heritage Library dates back to the 7th century A.D. One of the oldest manuscripts in the collection is a set of four parts of Sahih Al Bukhari which was written in Spain in the 6th century AD.
The Heritage Library exhibition area features space to display more than 400 items, giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about the history and culture of the Islamic world and Qatar. One of the major attractions is the Diwan of the founder of modern Qatar, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, which was printed in 1907 in Mumbai.
It is a collection of poems written by Sheikh Jassim, the founder of Qatar and contains a number of Nabati poems, a colloquial form of Arabic poetry.
The exhibits include pages of the Blue Quran which has been called one of the most extraordinary luxury manuscripts ever created. The first printed maps ever mentioning Qatar, pages of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ in various languages, traveller’s instruments, tools and historical photographs are also worth seeing.
The Heritage Library contains medical, pharmacological and astronomical texts, along with famous works produced by Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, and Ibn Sina, famous Muslim scientists from 9th and 10th centuries AD.
