Fourth training course on the cataloguing of Islamic MSS, 18 June to 18 July 2001 - Rabat

The fourth training course for the cataloguing of Islamic manuscripts was held during the period from 18 June to  18  July 2001. The course was organized by Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation in co-operation with the National Library  of books and documents in Rabat, Morocco.

The course was attended by twenty five participants working in the field  of cataloguing. They were selected from various African countries: Mali, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Chad and  Ethiopia on the basis of their specialization in manuscripts and interest in Islamic heritage.

An adequate number of sessions in the programme of the training course  were allocated to the study of manuscript as a piece of  archaeology  of great value. In this context manuscripts have many important aspects, such as  the art of book binding, the material used, whether it was  papyrus, parchment or paper and methods of manufacturing paper and   schools of calligraphy and their  development. Of interest also is the different aspects of the science of manuscripts, the gathering of information to help the process of cataloguing....etc.