Board meeting of The Islamic Manuscripts Association held in Uzbekistan

Centuries-old handwritings undergo electronic cataloguing

Abu Rayhon Beruniy Institute of Oriental Studies at Uzbekistan’s Academy of Sciences hosted a board meeting of The Islamic Manuscripts Association (TIMA) in Tashkent on November 1-2, 2009.

Foreign specialists attending the meeting got familiarized with the Institute’s collections of ancient handwritings as well as ongoing scientific and organizational efforts related to studying and preserving manuscript assets.

Special value of this depository of written monuments is that it contains about a hundred unique documents from the 9th until 18th centuries written in Arabic, Farsi, old Uzbek, Urdu and many other languages of the nations of Arab East, India, Pakistan and other countries. Without examining documents from this collection it would be quite difficult to explore the history of the region’s peoples.

Therefore, according to participants of the meeting, organization of the workshop in Tashkent and implementation of the fixed project on electronic cataloguing of ancient manuscripts are aimed to promoting the integration of Oriental Studies in Uzbekistan with those in the wider world.

“The current meeting’s attendees examined issues concerning prospects of cooperation between TIMA and Scientific Research Institute of Oriental Studies under the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan in realm of restoration and conservation of manuscripts from the depository of the Institute, mapped out themes of joint scientific projects on publication of sources. Besides, there was a discussion of the possibility to organize an international scientific conference in 2010 in Tashkent that would address issues related to preservation and study of manuscripts,” - noted Doctor of Historical Sciences Bahrom Abduhalimov, director of the Institute. 

According to a unanimous opinion of the participants at the workshop, this invaluable manuscript fund is of immense importance and is assigned a special place among similar text depositories around the world. Hence it was not accidental that Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies was chosen as the host place of the board meeting. Owing to the ongoing international cooperation it was planned to address such issues as cadres’ advanced training, equipment with essential facilities for carrying out restoration works as well as providing with chemicals for fixing and conservation of ancient handwritings.

“The manuscript fund of the Institute of Oriental Studies possesses, without any doubt, one of the richest and invaluable collections of manuscripts in the world, the significance of which for the science and recollection of unknown pages of the history of states on the Great Silk Road is hard to overestimate,” - underscored Dr. Charles Melville (UK), Professor of Persian History, University of Cambridge, and Director of Shohnoma Project. “We are in raptures over the hospitality of the Uzbek people and all that we saw here. We are impressed especially by the care for and great attention to monuments of cultural legacy that are an important component of the treasury of universal civilization”, - he said. 

“After digital copying and electronic cataloguing of all manuscripts within the implementation of a five-year project (2008-2013), you will possess a unique data base,” - added Dr. Mahmud Erol Kilich (Turkey), chairman of The Islamic Manuscripts Association, secretary general of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Conference. “Upon the completion of the project all materials will be uploaded on the web-site in order for everyone - whether local residents or foreign researchers – to have access to them. It will be a significant contribution of Uzbek academics to the development and expansion of world science as well as to strengthening the international image of Uzbekistan in this area.”

Dr. Mahmud Erol Kilich (left), Dr. Charles Melville (centre) and Dr Bahrom Abduhalimov (right) during the meeting

Prepared jointly with “Uzbekistan Today”

London, November 12, 2009