Eight ancient Arabic volumes kept in the El Escorial Library in Spain were restored under the direction of Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, a member of the Supreme Council and the ruler of Sharjah, making a significant contribution to the preservation of Arab and Islamic cultural heritage.

This initiative stems from the ruler of Sharjah’s belief in the importance of preserving the Arab and international heritage and manuscripts owned by the library, and an extension of His Highness’ global and local cultural efforts.

The books slated for restoration include Ibn Arjomand’s Al-Ajrumiyyah, three copies of the Holy Quran from 1257, 1397, and 1402, Abu Al-Fida’s book on human history summaries, Tarikh Al Mukhtasar Fi Akhbar Al Bashar; Al-Asfahani’s book of songs, Al Aghani; Al-Milal Wa Al-Nihal; and Kharidat Al-Ajaib Wa Faridat Al-Ghraib. Through this initiative, Sharjah is making the first global contribution to the preservation of the rare and invaluable books and manuscripts at El Escorial Library that document Arab and Islamic history.

Based on this initiative, Sharjah records the first global contribution to preserving the collections of the ancient and rare Spanish El Escorial Library, which documents the Arab and Islamic existence. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi visited the library in 2019 during his visit to Spain, during which an agreement on fruitful cooperation between the Emirate of Sharjah and the library was reached. This collaboration will span various fields, including the restoration of rare Arabic books and their preservation.

It is worth noting that this directive coincides with the launch of the “Arabic Manuscripts in the Spanish El Escorial” exhibition, which is organized by the “Sharjah Book Authority” until April 9 at the authority’s headquarters. It should be noted that Sharjah is the first city to host an exhibition of the largest group of rare Arabic holdings from the El Escorial Library outside Spain. This exhibition will display fourteen manuscripts dating back to the period between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries AD.