Manuscript & Rare Book Gallery  

The Manuscript & Rare Book Exhibition Gallery is part of the Manuscript Museum; the latter being one of the academic institutions affiliated to the BA. Soon after he assumed his responsibilities as the Librarian of Alexandria, Dr Ismail Serageldin started to set organizational plans for the Manuscript Exhibition Gallery within the arrangements of the inauguration of the BA; preparing exhibits and showcases; and selecting a collection of rare manuscripts, books and personal effects of renowned writers. Being the Director of Manuscripts and the person responsible for heritage departments in the BA, Dr Youssef Ziedan undertook the realization of the set plans. In the year preceding the inauguration, Dr Ziedan worked on training the rare book gallery’s staff on providing guided tours.

The Exhibition Gallery is located in the heart of the Library, occupying the space of 344m2. It comprises 12 display cases, donated by Italy within the framework of the cooperation agreements between the two countries, in addition to 20 Egyptian-made display cases. Around 120 manuscripts and rare books are displayed in these cases. Two pieces of the kiswa (decorative black brocade cover, embroidered in gold with Qur'anic verses) of the Holy Kaaba adorn the walls above the Islamic manuscripts.

A team of 7 guides are assigned in the Exhibition Gallery to give ample explanation of the displayed items in Arabic, English, French and Italian.

On the other hand, visitors can review the electronic publications of the Manuscript Center, which were prepared using state-of-the-art digital techniques, such as the Virtual Reality Browser that runs on touch-screen computers. This program enables the user to thoroughly review a given manuscript, browse its different pages, magnify the desired part, and listen to related commentary and explanation. The first collection of the Digital Manuscript Library- a project adopted by the Manuscript Center- is available for public display on one of three sets of the Virtual Reality Browser.

Moreover, the only surviving vestige from the ancient Library of Alexandria is currently displayed in the rare book gallery; a digital copy of the papyrus held at the Austrian National Library (Vienna) is available on a special browser, prepared by the Manuscript Center.

The Manuscript and Rare Book Exhibition Gallery is refurbished biannually, thus providing room for new display methods as well as giving exposure to as many rare manuscripts and books as possible. As the Exhibition Gallery develops at regular intervals, its plan and contents will be registered by means of the Virtual Visit CD. Thus, the progress and development of the Exhibition Gallery take the visitor on a trip from the treasures of the manuscripts and rare books in their different topics and subjects to the special treasures room housing the oldest book and manuscript held by the BA, amongst other invaluable pieces, and eventually to the collaboration of old and new, cultural heritage and the modern digital age with a view of the latest publications, catalogs and virtual programs developed by the Manuscript Center, shedding new light to words expressed sometimes more than 1000 years ago.