José Luis del Valle Merino, Director of the “Spanish El Escorial Library,” recently spoke on the exhibition of Arabic manuscripts hosted by Sharjah. He emphasized the common cultural heritage shared between Spain and the Arab world, and highlighted the role of the “El Escorial” in preserving manuscript heritage. The exhibition is organized by the Sharjah Book Authority and features a unique and rare collection of 2,000 Arabic manuscripts from the library’s holdings. Merino showed a manuscript Quran, decorated with Moroccan motifs, and gave an overview of the library’s history and architecture. The library, located in the historic building of San Lorenzo de Escorial, was not designed for manuscript preservation but adapted to accommodate thousands of Arabic and Greek manuscripts.
Sharjah (Al Ittihad)
José Luis del Valle Merino, Director of the “Spanish El Escorial Library”, confirmed that Sharjah’s hosting of the exhibition of Arabic manuscripts maintained by the El Escorial Library sheds light on the common cultural heritage that unites Spain with the Arab world, and contributes to defining the position occupied by the “El Escorial” among its counterparts. Libraries of Europe and their role in preserving the manuscript heritage.
This came in a symposium organized by the Sharjah Book Authority, yesterday evening, Monday, in the presence of Ahmed bin Rakad Al-Amiri, Chairman of the Authority, and moderated by the poet Sheikha Al-Mutairi, as part of the activities of the exhibition “Arabic Manuscripts in the Spanish El Escorial” organized by the Authority at its headquarters, in cooperation with the “Library El Escorial, Spain, and runs until April 9.
Rare collection
José Luis del Valle Merino said: “The Escorial includes 2,000 Arabic manuscripts, which constitute nearly half of its holdings of more than 4,000 manuscripts. We have been keen to select a unique and rare group of them to display in Sharjah, which provided us with an exceptional opportunity to introduce the public In the UAE and the Arab world on the common cultural history between the Spanish and Arab cultures ».
He pointed out that the “El Escorial” is one of the most important libraries in Europe and the world, and that it has a wealth of invaluable manuscripts. For the Moroccan Sultan Moulay Zidane, dating back to the year 1599 AD.
During his speech at the symposium, the director of the “Spanish El Escorial Library” showed a picture of the manuscript Quran, which showed that it was decorated with rich Moroccan motifs on most pages, and the diacritical marks were painted in red, and the titles of the chapters were written in golden Kufic script on a blue background.
He gave the audience an overview supported by pictures of the El Escorial Library, its departments, its history, its inscriptions, the aesthetics of the architecture that characterizes it since the Middle Ages, and what the inscriptions symbolize and what they carry of scientific and philosophical backgrounds. Arabic in the next stage.
Create the library
The director of the “Spanish El Escorial Library” touched on the history of the establishment of the library, which is located in the historic building of the Spanish court, known as San Lorenzo de Escorial, which he described as carrying the history of Spain, as it was ordered to be built by King Philip II in 1537 and work ended in 1596 and half of the building was a monastery and the other a school.
He explained that the “El Escorial Library” was not designed when it was established to preserve manuscripts, but those in charge of it worked following acquiring thousands of Arabic and Greek manuscripts to provide a safe place for it and take into account the humidity level in order to preserve the manuscripts.
In conclusion, the exhibition “Arabic Manuscripts in the Spanish El Escorial” organized by the Sharjah Book Authority, in cooperation with the “Library El Escorial, Spain,” sheds light on the common cultural heritage that unites Spain with the Arab world. The presence of José Luis del Valle Merino, Director of the “Spanish El Escorial Library,” at the symposium showed the value of the rare collection and its significance in preserving the manuscript heritage. The El Escorial Library’s establishment history was also illustrated, showing how it has become one of the most important libraries in Europe and the world. This exhibition not only highlights the historical significance of manuscripts but also demonstrates the importance of preserving them as part of our cultural heritage. We hope this exhibition will continue to inspire interest and scholarly research in the fascinating world of manuscripts.