The center organized on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, a remote lecture titled “Arabic Manuscripts at Leiden Library,” presented by Dr. Rasha Al-Khatib, Assistant Professor at Philadelphia University in Jordan.
The lecture aimed to shed light on the distinctive collection of Arabic manuscripts at Leiden University Library in the Netherlands, which comprises over six thousand Eastern manuscripts, predominantly Arabic. These manuscripts were collected by Dutch orientalists from various parts of the world, contributing to Leiden Library’s global reputation in Arabic and oriental studies. Dr. Rasha discussed the history of the Dutch city of Leiden and the founding of its university, followed by the flourishing of Arabic studies and the Arabic manuscripts housed in its library. She also presented methods for accessing and utilizing these manuscripts, including detailed catalogs and digital resources available online, some of which are freely accessible for reading and download. The lecture included excerpts from notable manuscripts renowned at Leiden University Library, and it witnessed active participation from attendees, who posed numerous questions and inquiries to which Dr. Rasha responded.
