Rare manuscripts and books to go on display at Sharjah Book Authority

The highlighted works include issues of a French newspaper used to spread propaganda during the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt

A collection of rare manuscripts, books and artefacts will be exhibited at the Sharjah Book Authority. Sharjah Book Authority

A collection of rare manuscripts, books and artefacts will be exhibited at the Sharjah Book Authority.

Titled Tales from the East, the exhibition will be held from Tuesday to May 3. Open from 8pm to midnight each day, the display will give visitors a chance to engage with academic experts and gain insights into the region's rich cultural past.

Among the works that will be on display is a centuries-old manuscript of The Aphorisms of Hippocrates. The work was originally penned in 400 BC by the Greek physician, who is often referred to as the father of medicine. The piece was translated into Arabic in the Abbasid era during the translation movement between 750 and 1258.

Tales from the East will take place at the Sharjah Book Authority from April 27 to May 3. Sharjah Book Authority

The exhibition will also display issues of Courrier de l'Egypte, a newspaper used for propaganda during the Napoleonic occupation of Egypt in the late 18th century. Rare architecture books and atlases, as well as works about Islamic geometric decorations, will also be on display.

A series of talks and panel discussions by historians and archeology experts will take place on the sidelines of the exhibition. The talks will discuss the challenges of preserving ancient manuscripts, as well as the techniques and technologies involved in the practice.

Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, said the key message of the exhibition is "to showcase to new generations how the formative work of scientists, innovators and thought leaders over hundreds of years has informed and influenced current technological feats and why our mission today is to continue this journey and work harder to foster greater historic milestones".

Covid-19 health and safety protocols will be implemented at the seven-day event. Halls and panel discussion areas will be sanitised regularly, while all exits and entrances will have thermal scanners.