Knowledge Affairs – Special

With its multiple branches in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Morocco, and the People’s Republic of China, the King Abdulaziz Public Library has established a major system of sources and references highlighting Arab-Islamic content that represents some of the most important cultural and intellectual products of religious, intellectual, literary, scientific, and artistic heritage, showcasing the development of civilization across different eras.

The library plays a fundamental role in enhancing knowledge of Arab and Islamic heritage, as well as the modern era. It has published a large collection of books documenting national, Arab, and Islamic heritage in general. Preserving heritage forms part of the library’s cultural strategy, through which it has created space to focus on prominent and deeply rooted heritage values. It has also published a range of illustrated documentary books associated with literary arts, place, antiquities and history, the environment, nature and geography, or human customs and traditions. All of these contribute to this broad heritage sphere. The library holds 8,571 rare books and more than 7,000 manuscripts, covering the Qur’an and its sciences, the fundamentals of religion, Qur’anic manuscripts, Hadith and its sciences, jurisprudence and its principles, the biography of the Prophet, preaching and guidance, the Arabic language and its literature, history, philosophy and logic, pure and applied sciences, and general knowledge, in addition to numerous paper and microfilm reproductions.

Through these holdings and activities, the library works to disseminate knowledge, contribute to supporting scientific research, and promote renewed awareness of the importance of benefiting from information and communications technologies in introducing the richness of Arab-Islamic culture, the diversity of its contributions to the course of civilizational development throughout different eras, and its profound historical influence on cultures around the world.

Makkah, Madinah, and Jerusalem

The book “Urban Development of the Pilgrimage Cities and the Holy Sites during the Reign of King Abdulaziz,” authored by Dr. Nasser bin Ali Al-Harthi, represents an important historical reference highlighting the Kingdom’s اهتمام in serving the Two Holy Mosques since its establishment by King Abdulaziz Al Saud—may he rest in peace—in September 1932. The book presents the achievements and efforts of the founding King Abdulaziz, particularly those devoted to serving the Guests of God, including pilgrims and Umrah performers, in the pilgrimage cities and holy sites and the surrounding cities, villages, and other areas. This is especially significant because the author combines the roles of archaeologist and discoverer, a scholar of inscriptions and rock writing, and a skilled documentarian of historical landmarks, particularly architectural ones. There is no doubt that numerous historical and architectural landmarks have been associated with the Two Holy Mosques and the holy sites.

The library also houses more than 9,000 diverse materials concerning Palestine, Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa Mosque, along with a large collection of documents relating to the Palestinian cause in both Arabic and English and rare works written about Palestine since the beginning of the twentieth century. Regarding Al-Aqsa, the library published a substantial illustrated book covering the holy and heritage sites, including the Dome of the Rock, together with a large collection of rare documents and photographs, entitled “Al-Aqsa.” The book contains 360 photographs depicting the various details of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Since its establishment, the library has paid particular attention to documenting the history of Jerusalem and has organized conferences and seminars, including a seminar and illustrated exhibition on Jerusalem in 1998. Among the rare books held by the library, which serve as important references on the Palestinian cause, is “The City of Jerusalem,” authored by C. R. Conder and published in London in 1909. The book presents a summary of the historical and archaeological research conducted during the nineteenth century concerning the history and archaeological buildings of Jerusalem over a period of 4,000 years.

The Arab Unified Catalog Center, launched by the King Abdulaziz Public Library in early April 2007 to serve the Arabic language and culture and document and catalog the intellectual output of the Arab world in Arabic, also represents a significant cultural achievement. It unified library work across 22 countries, while enabling access to Arab libraries from anywhere and at any time and connecting them with other cultures around the world.

Rare Books and Photographs:

The library possesses a collection of rare books featuring old and scarce European editions, consisting of 78 books on the life of the Prophet Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him. The collection also includes 113 books containing translations of the Holy Qur’an into old European languages, in addition to 55 books on Qur’anic studies and 54 books relating to Islamic sources. This collection represents the early stages of European interest in the Holy Qur’an and its studies.

The library has also acquired a collection of Arabic editions printed in Europe in 1592–1593. These editions form part of the library’s interest in authentic Arab and Islamic heritage and include extremely rare works, such as “The Canon” by Ibn Sina; “Asrar al-Balagha” (Secrets of Eloquence) by Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani, edited by H. Reiter; “Annals of Nashr al-Mathani,” authored by Belyounes al-Hakim and edited by Osla Weiser; “Commentary on the Isagoge” by Porphyry, authored by Abu al-Faraj Ibn al-Tayyib and edited by Kwamijiki; and “Islamic Astronomy,” authored by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti and edited by Anton M. Heinen.

The collection contains 8,271 indexed and classified rare Arabic book titles entered into a database. The library also holds several private libraries, including the George Rentz Library, belonging to the American Orientalist George Rentz. This private collection contains numerous rare books, manuscripts, maps, and documents, including Arabic-language books and approximately 3,265 books in foreign languages.

It also includes the Hamza Abu Bakr Library, belonging to the former director of the Islamic Institute and former Imam of the Paris Mosque. It is a comprehensive library containing 17,170 titles in 19,821 volumes of books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, documents, press clippings, studies, and important rare books in Arabic, French, English, German, and Russian.

The collections include books on Islamic sciences, literary works, travel literature, descriptions of countries and their heritage, customs, and traditions, with connections to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Gulf, and the Islamic world.

The King Abdulaziz Public Library also possesses a photographic archive regarded as one of the rarest photographic collections in the world. It includes photographs taken by renowned photographers of the East and the Arab region since the beginnings of photography in 1740, in addition to photographs taken by travelers, ship captains, military personnel, envoys, consuls, and politicians who visited the region from the middle of the previous century through the beginning of the current century. This historical photographic archive is considered one of the world’s most important sources for portraying the Arab region in the past.

The King Abdulaziz Public Library holds approximately 365 photographs, along with their original negatives, of the Two Holy Mosques that have never previously been published. They were taken by the internationally renowned Egyptian photographer Ahmed Pasha Helmy, who was commissioned by King Farouk to photograph the Two Holy Mosques during King Abdulaziz’s entry into Makkah and Madinah—may he rest in peace. The library also possesses a collection of albums depicting the Hejaz Railway and various parts of the Kingdom.

The library also owns 700 rare maps, particularly maps of the Arabian Peninsula dating back to 1482, some of which are written in ancient Latin languages. In the field of rare coins and numismatics, the library administration has made efforts to acquire more than 8,000 rare gold, silver, and bronze coins dating from various Islamic eras.

The library has also digitally photographed all of its manuscripts, producing more than two million images and preserving them on compact discs. The library’s role does not stop at preserving the heritage treasures in its possession; rather, these collections contribute to making it one of the world’s important libraries in safeguarding Arab and Islamic heritage.