2,192 Manuscripts From Bibliothèque Al Cady Al Aqib In Tombouctou, Mali, Are Now Cataloged In Reading Room

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Title page for an anonymous expansion of Ibn al-Naḥwī's poem al-Munfarijah (ELIT AQB 00683)

2,192 manuscripts from Bibliothèque al-Cady al-Aqib in Tombouctou, Mali, are now cataloged in Reading Room

Posted: 2024-07-09

Cataloging is complete for 2,192 items from the Bibliothèque al-Cady al-Aqib, the library of the Sankoré Mosque in Timbuktu, Mali (ELIT AQB). The building dates back to the 14th century and is named for al-Qāḍī al-ʻAqīb (1504-1583 CE) who commissioned or restored many of the town's mosques. The al-ʻAqīb family remain hereditary Imams to this day, and many collection items bear their handwriting.

The collection is mainly in Arabic, with some items featuring West African languages such as Fulfulde and Bambara written in Arabic script. The oldest items date to the early 17th century, though many will have been copied from older originals now lost. The library contains the typical core curriculum from the region, including Qurʼans, hadith, and legal texts. It is noteworthy for its collection of works on the Qurʼanic sciences, and other subjects relating to memorization and study. View now

Image caption: Title page for an anonymous expansion of Ibn al-Naḥwī's poem al-Munfarijah (ELIT AQB 00683)

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