Page 11 - Hussein Revivalism - Issue 16
P. 11
Scientific and Cultural were produced on vellum and
Heritage other parchments, on papyrus,
and on paper. In Russia, birch
bark documents as old as
The head of the centre from the 11th century have
Mr. Munaf al-Tamemi said survived. In India, the palm leaf
“The manuscripts represent manuscript, with a distinctive
important scientific and cultural long rectangular shape, was
heritage. These works include used from ancient times until
subjects such as astronomy, the 19th century. Paper spread
maths, medicine, sciences, from China via the Islamic world
religious affairs and other to Europe by the 14th century,
subjects which have served and by the late 15th century
humanity and were preserved had largely replaced parchment.
on paper by scholars of bygone When Greek or Latin works
generations”. were published, numerous
Adding “We are able to professional copies were made
know about the past and simultaneously by scribes in
historical events through the a scriptorium, each making a
documented sciences of the single copy from an original text
past generations as recorded by that was declaimed aloud.
them in these manuscripts”.
“ The Centre has not been “Work in the Centre is similar to
able to so far gather the entire work at a hospital because we
collection of manuscripts and are diagnosing the damage and
documents, which numbered finding ways of conservation
in their thousands prior to their and restoration,” al-Tamemi
loot due to the policy of the states.
past regime. Prior to 2003, The Centre follows the
Imam Hussain Holy shrine held scientific methods to restore
approximately 700 manuscripts the documents and the staff of
and most of them were copies the Centre took part in many
of Holy Quran. Recently, the workshops and trainings in the
Holy Shrine began to acquire Czech Republic. “
some of these manuscripts, Al-Tamemi further explained
together with donated that “The Centre is working Historically, manuscripts
manuscripts, so far the shrine on issuing a detailed index for
has assembled about 5400 the manuscripts. The index were produced in form
manuscripts” al-Tamemi said. will include parts of the Holy
Quran. It will contain a thorough of scrolls or books.
It’s worth mentioning to study on the development of
that before the invention of the scripts of the Holy Quran, Manuscripts were
woodblock printing in China or and development of illuminated
by moveable type in a printing Qur’an manuscripts from the produced on vellum and
press in Europe, all written first to the fourteenth century
documents had to be both A.H.” other parchments, on
produced and reproduced by An illuminated manuscript is
hand. Historically, manuscripts a manuscript in which the text papyrus, and on paper.
were produced in form of is supplemented with such
scrolls or books. Manuscripts decoration as initials, borders
Hussein Revivalism 11
