To continue the preservation of West African manuscript culture, HMML started a major initiative November 2023 in Mauritania, the geographic and cultural bridge between Morocco and Mali. The first studios will be in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, laying the groundwork for a project that will expand into the desert cities of the Saharan regions of eastern Mauritania. These Arabic manuscripts contain both Islamic literature and local wisdom.

HMML’s first partnership is with IMRFPC, a national Mauritanian institution dedicated to science, culture, and heritage. The partnership supports the digitization of manuscripts from many libraries in Mauritania, including family libraries named after an ancestor (such as the father or grandfather) of the current owners, as well as mosque libraries. The libraries originate in many ancient towns, including Chinguti, Ouadane, Tichit, Oualata, Nema, and Tijikja, among others.

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