Main Hall

In the main hall the guided tours begin, providing ample explanation of the displayed items in four major languages (Arabic, English, French and Italian). The first set of showcases are dedicated to the Islamic religion, starting with treasured copies of the Holy Qur'an, followed by Qur'anic sciences, Prophetic traditions (Hadith), multi-lingual translations of the meaning of the divine inscriptions, Islamic Jurisprudence and Sufism. Above these treasures pertaining to Islam, are two pieces of the kiswa (decorative black brocade cover, embroidered in gold with Qur'anic verses) of the Holy Kaaba. The Kiswa pieces are a precious donation made by the grandchildren of the leading Egyptian economist, Talaat Harb. These two pieces of the Kiswa had been presented to Talaat Harb by HM King ‘Abdul-‘Aziz Al-Sa‘ud of Saudi Arabia in 1936, in recognition of the early economic projects which he had initiated in Saudi Arabia. They remained in the Talaat Harb family cemetery (near al-Muqattam hills in Cairo) until his grandchildren decided to present the BA with them before the Inauguration, on 10th September 2002.

The tour then passes on to the opposite side to the other divine religions, in a special showcase displaying valuable copies of the Old and New Testaments, in various languages. Following this spiritual side of man's thinking, the Exhibition Gallery explores the Arabs' contributions and achievements in the fields of astronomy, medicine, history, geography, literature and grammar, highlighting the diverse nature of Arab knowledge and marking the zenith of Islamic civilization. Amongst any collection of rare manuscripts and books, one often finds peculiar subject matters and documents, and these are displayed in the rare documents showcase. Moreover, rare books, momentous documents, early publications and selections from the Special Collections in the ensuing showcases presented in the Exhibition Gallery open endless windows on the history of printing and the world’s early interest in Arab culture, and pay homage to the human intellectual experience. The Manuscript and Rare Book Exhibition Gallery would not be complete without the portrayal of the work which takes place behind the scenes. One of the vital continuous projects undertaken is that of the restoration of these precious works. A dedicated showcase to restoration shows the condition in which many manuscripts may arrive to the BA as well as the progress in the methods of restoration, identifying the delicate and accurate procedures which the restoration laboratory employs. The tour of the main hall ends with a selection of the many manuscripts which have been donated to the BA as well as a showcase highlighting the importance of marginal annotations which are found in many of the texts on display.