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Studies and research notes on manuscripts, authors and the history of science, drawn from day-to-day catalogue work.

4 November 202610 min read

ʿAbd al-Rahman Jami: life, works and manuscripts in the world’s libraries

The life and works of Nur al-Din ʿAbd al-Rahman Jami, and over 17,000 manuscript copies of his writings in 865 libraries — from al-Fawaʾid al-Diyaʾiyya and Yusuf and Zulaykha to 451 copies made in his own lifetime.

28 October 20268 min read

Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti: life, works and manuscripts in the world’s libraries

The life and works of Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, the most prolific author of the Mamluk age, and over 23,000 manuscript copies of his writings in 740 libraries — from the Itqan and Tafsir al-Jalalayn to where they were copied.

21 October 202610 min read

Ibn Sina (Avicenna): life, works and manuscripts in the world’s libraries

The life and works of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and over 8,600 manuscript copies of his writings in 470 libraries — from the Canon and the Shifaʾ to where they were copied.

17 October 20266 min read

How do we find the manuscript we are looking for?

From bio-bibliographies and printed catalogues to union catalogues and online databases, and how Al-Mufahris shortens this long route.

10 October 20262 min read

How does Al-Mufahris connect unidentified manuscripts?

Discovering another copy of an unidentified manuscript thanks to our database: a “Book on Arithmetic” in the Hakim and Razavi libraries.

1 October 20251 min read

Translation, the lifeblood of civilisations: from the House of Wisdom to the Ottomans

For World Translation Day: two great waves of translation and works still unedited.

24 September 20252 min read

Between catalogue volumes and the identity of works: who wrote al-Juman fi Mukhtasar Akhbar al-Zaman?

Al-Maqqari al-Tilimsani or al-Shutaybi al-Zarwili? Examining the copies and a cautious conclusion.

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