In Pictures | A Palestinian project to restore historical manuscripts
Gaza (QNN)- A group of Palestinian archaeologists in Gaza started a project to restore historical manuscripts, some of which are over 800 years old, which have been partially destroyed by environmental factors and wars.
The manuscripts refute the lies of Zionism and the occupation state, which claim that Palestine was an empty desert and that the colonizers came to build it. The manuscripts include old poems, which describe Palestine and its nature and villages.
Hani Abu Sharkh and six other archaeologists have started their project, which they called “preserving manuscripts of Al Omari mosque library”, over six months ago.
Abu Sharkh told QNN that all manuscripts are in very bad condition and it was written using sustainable materials, which make it very hard to restore them.
This is the first project of its kind in Gaza. Abu Sharkh said that the group had a special training course, which qualifies them of dealing with historical manuscripts.
The group is working on 188 Arabic manuscripts, the oldest of which dates back to the 14th century. They include manuscripts on religion, literature, rhetoric, Arabic grammar, astronomy, history, geography, poetry, and astrology in addition to important pieces, which describe Palestine and its cities and people, which could be deemed as a documentation of Palestine’s life in the past.
The group told QNN that they face many problems during their work, as the occupation state refuses to allow important tools, which they need to use, to the Gaza strip.
The group has completed restoring 200 manuscripts, which include 20,000 pages, and they are working on providing online copies of them so that they can be available for researchers worldwide.
