By: Dr. Saad Al-Zuhri

The history of books and libraries dates back more than five thousand years, and their conditions fluctuated through civilizations that preceded Islamic civilization. During the eight centuries in which Islamic civilization flourished, the conditions of books and libraries developed, starting from Medina during the first century, then in Damascus during the Umayyad Caliphate, before reaching their peak in the second half of the second Hijri century in Baghdad during the eras of Al-Rashid and Al-Mamun, and beyond.