Arabic & Islamic Manuscripts Project

The Library of Trinity College Dublin prides itself on holding a significant collection of unique Arabic and Islamic manuscripts that has hitherto not been systematically studied or properly catalogued.

The aim of this project is to improve accessibility to the collection for academics and the public and to open it up for future research. This will be achieved through the enhancement of the catalogue and the conservation and digitisation of the manuscripts themselves. The research carried out on the collection as part of the project will not only enhance individual catalogue entries in terms of content and provenance; it will also give an insight into the socio-cultural and religious life of Arab society in a comprehensive way that seeks to connect historical moments, events and places.

Significantly, the Arabic collection that dates roughly from the 12th to the early 20th century, is not strictly Arab. While many manuscripts originated in North Africa and the Levant, some of the holdings were produced in areas as far as Persia and West Africa. The collection, comprising about 80 manuscripts, is predominantly in Arabic language with some in Persian, Turkish and other languages. Diverse in content and scope, the manuscripts vary from religious to literary, medical, and astronomical subjects to mention a few. Both ‘Islamic‘ and ‘Arabic‘ are cultural vehicles that encompass more than just a single religion, a single language, and a single geographic area.