Library restores
Palestinian history one manuscript at a time
The Star 24 July 2023
A library in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem offers a rare
glimpse into Palestinian history with its treasure trove of manuscripts dating
back hundreds of years before the creation of Israel. At the Khalidi Library in
the walled Old City, Rami Salameh expertly inspects a damaged manuscript as
part of the effort to restore and digitise historical Palestinian documents.
"The manuscripts range from jurisprudence to astronomy, the
Prophet's (Mohammed) biography and the Koran," says the Italian-trained
restorer as he carefully manoeuvres a dry brush over a fragile text on Arabic
grammar.
From his small workshop, he lets out a sigh of relief, concluding that it won't be necessary to treat the 200-year-old document for discolouration as a result of oxidation. Working alone, Salameh has already restored 1,200 pages from over a dozen manuscripts belonging to private Palestinian libraries over the past two and a half years.
The items date back as far as 300 years, to the Ottoman period. The
majority of the manuscripts come from the Khalidi Library itself, the largest
private collection of Arabic and Islamic manuscripts in the Palestinian
territories. Also on its shelves are Persian, German and French books,
including an impressive collection of titles by French writer Victor Hugo.
Glimpse into history
Located
in the Old City near one of the entrances to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the
library was founded by Palestinian judge Raghib Al-Khalidi in 1900. From its
main building, which overlooks the Western Wall - the holiest site where Jews
can pray - warring sultans reportedly played a role in liberating Jerusalem
from the Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. The collection contains
books, correspondence, Ottoman decrees and newspapers, including documents from
the influential Khalidi family.
They offer a rich view of past life in the holy city, with the
oldest book dating back to the 10th century.
We have manuscripts that talk about the cultural and social
status of the people of Jerusalem, and this is an indication of the presence of
Palestinians here for centuries," says librarian Khader Salameh, the
restorer's father who manages the collection.
"The
contents of the library negate the Zionist claim that this country was
empty," he added, referring to the common refrain that the land was
unpopulated prior to the creation of Israel in 1948 and the expulsion of over
750,000 Palestinians.
Palestinian
families and institutions in east Jerusalem have frequently been evicted to
make way for Israeli settlements since Israel captured and annexed the area,
including the Old City, in the 1967 Six-Day War - moves regarded as illegal by
the UN and the international community.
Part
of the library was seized by Israeli settlers to build a Jewish religious
school, the librarian lamented. The library's administration waged a long legal
battle to fight the settlement, but did not succeed in preventing the seizure
of part of it. Khader Salameh said the outcome could have been much worse, and
the entire property taken by settlers, had it not been for the support they
received.
"Israeli intellectuals supported the library administration
and testified in court in our favour," he noted.
'Delicate' manuscripts
Ever
since, the library has continued to preserve cultural heritage in Jerusalem
through their restoration and digitisation, with support from local and
international organisations.
"We
capture the documents with very high precision without exposing the paper to
light, as the manuscripts are very delicate, and we want to preserve them for
as long as possible," says Shaimaa al-Budeiri, a digital archive officer. Surrounded
by hundreds of books and equipment in her office, she brushes pages clean
before placing them flat to photograph and upload the images onto her computer.
To date, Budeiri has photographed around 2.5 million pages of
manuscripts, newspapers, rare books and other documents from the four private
libraries in Jerusalem. She says digitisation is the way forward, as it allows
researchers remote access to the library's archive.
They hope to secure more funding for the restoration work to buy
costly supplies and equipment, including acid-free storage boxes. They also
want to update the workshop to safeguard against the humidity that threatens
their work with the delicate manuscripts.
Budeiri says it is her love for books that drives her passion
for her work.
"If
I see someone holding a book in a violent way, I feel like the book is in
pain," she notes. The book gives to you, it doesn't take away from
you." – AFP
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/culture/2023/07/24/library-restores-palestinian-history-one-manuscript-at-a-time
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