The Center for the Revival of Arab Scientific Heritage at the University of Baghdad held a scientific symposium on Tuesday morning, January 13, 2026, entitled “Art and Craftsmanship in Arabic and Islamic Manuscripts between Protection and Ornamentation.” The symposium was attended by a number of professors, researchers, and individuals interested in manuscripts and heritage, and was held in Professor Nabila Abdul Munim Dawood Hall at the Center. The session was chaired by Professor Dr. Zainab Kamel Karim, Head of the Manuscripts Department at the Center, who emphasized in her opening remarks the importance of manuscripts as a civilizational and intellectual testimony reflecting the development of sciences and arts in Arab and Islamic civilization, and the necessity of balancing their protection and preservation on the one hand with highlighting their aesthetic and artistic value on the other.
The symposium commenced with a lecture by Ms. Muna Naji Abbas from the Ministry of Culture / Iraqi Manuscripts House. Her research paper, entitled “Ornamented Manuscripts between Definition and Care: Selected Holdings of the Iraqi Manuscripts House as a Model,” addressed the artistic and technical aspects of manuscripts, methods of decoration and illumination, and the role these elements play in preserving manuscripts and presenting them simultaneously as artistic and historical artifacts. Dr. Nihal Ni‘ma Majid from the College of Education for Women at the University of Baghdad also participated with a paper entitled “Papermaking in Islamic Heritage,” in which she highlighted the role of manuscripts in documenting history and transmitting knowledge across the ages, as well as the mastery involved in selecting and producing paper.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sundus Zaidan Khalaf, a faculty member at the Center, presented her research paper entitled “The Craft of Inks and Types of Writing Media,” discussing the importance of modern techniques in protecting and conserving manuscripts while preserving their authenticity and heritage value, as well as the selection of manuscript colors and the symbols used by scribes. The symposium included a visual presentation showcasing selected examples of Arabic and Islamic manuscripts, highlighting their artistic and intellectual richness and their great importance in the study of history, science, and the arts. The symposium concluded with fruitful scholarly discussions between the attendees and speakers, collectively emphasizing the need to intensify scientific and institutional efforts to preserve Arabic and Islamic manuscripts as an invaluable human heritage and a bridge connecting the past with the present, safeguarding the nation’s identity for future generations.
