Arabic Manuscripts from Georgia exhibition opens at QNL

The Qatar National Library (QNL) is hosting a unique exhibition, titled “Georgian Cultural Heritage – Arabic Manuscripts from Georgia”, to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Qatar.
The exhibition, open to the public until June 21 at the main floor of QNL, is organised in co-operation with the Embassy of Georgia in Qatar and the Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts, features an exceptional collection of Arabic manuscripts from Georgia.
Georgian ambassador to Qatar Nikoloz Revazishvili and QNL executive director Tan Huism led the opening of the exhibition on June 7. QNL’s senior management, ambassadors and representatives of various diplomatic missions in Qatar, art and culture enthusiasts, as well as members of the Georgian diaspora in Qatar were present.
According to the embassy, the panel exhibition puts a spotlight on Georgia's diverse and rich cultural heritage, as well as the presence of rare Arabic manuscripts in Georgia, providing a glimpse into an exceptional collection of manuscripts known for their content and historical significance.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore manuscripts pertaining to religion, science, language, and history, which offer insight into various aspects of human activity.
The collection also includes 10th-century Qur'an fragments, theological commentaries and illuminated manuscripts, ancient samples of calligraphic writing, the famous astronomical work “Book of Fixed Stars” and Avicenna's Canon of Medicine, widely known not only in Muslim medical circles but also in Europe until almost the 18th century, along with other important works. The items, in their original form, are kept in the Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts.
Located in Tbilisi, the Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts serves as the repository of ancient manuscripts and historical documents. It is also home to major treasures of Georgian culture and history, including foreign manuscripts kept at different times in various libraries and private collections.
The centre also hosts an exceptional collection of ancient Arabic manuscripts, which occupy a prominent place in Georgia's manuscript heritage treasury. Ancient Arabic manuscripts occupy a distinct place in the Georgian manuscript heritage treasury.
The enlarged reproductions of fine manuscripts dating from the 10th to the early 20th century are bringing to life Georgia’s diverse relations at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Asia while also highlighting the country’s rich cultural heritage.