Precious manuscripts more than 1,000 years old have left the Vatican’s secret archive for the first time to be displayed at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The documents are on show at the Holy See pavilion, which is named after the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church.
One of those manuscripts, which dates back to the early ninth century, was written on parchment made from animal skin and displays theories on astronomy written in Arabic.
The pavilion is also home to a recreation of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam. The original image adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.
These manuscripts show how there is much that unites different cultures
Monsignor Thomasz Trafny
“These manuscripts show how there is much that unites different cultures,” said Monsignor Tomasz Trafny, deputy commissioner general of the Holy See pavilion.
“We designed this pavilion with a focus on the relationship between Christianity and Islam.
“The idea is to show that we are all brothers and we want to point out what unites us instead of focusing on what divides us.”
The manuscript was believed to have been recovered from the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, a large library established in the eighth century.
Monsignor Trafny was unsure how it came into the possession of the Vatican’s Apostolic Archive but believes it may have been offered as a tribute or present to a serving Pope.
The manuscripts serve as a clear example of how Arabic and Christian cultures have been intertwined for more than a millennium, said Monsignor Trafny.
One of the other manuscripts is from the 13th century and shows how Arabic number systems were introduced into western culture.
The third manuscript also offers a glimpse of how this was used to help introduce the Gregorian calendar in the late 16th century.
“As far as we know this is the only surviving manuscript from the House of Wisdom,” he said.
“The other manuscripts show how we are still using Arabic mathematical systems in everyday life in the western world.”
The recreation of The Creation of Adam, one of the most famous images in history, was created “by using exactly the same style brushes and techniques that Michelangelo used in the early 16th century,” said Monsignor Trafny.
One of the most famous moments of the Crusades is also recreated on the walls on the pavilion, with a mural of St Francis of Assisi heading to discuss matters of faith with the Sultan of Egypt in 1219.
“We are using this to begin the journey in the pavilion because it’s an early example of a positive encounter between the two faiths,” he said.
“Despite being at war they were able to put aside their differences to discuss what they had in common.”
While a monument to an early encounter between iconic leaders of the two religions opens the journey through the pavilion, one much closer to home for the UAE greets visitors at the end of the exhibition.
“The tour ends with a display of a meeting that happened 800 years after St Francis and the Sultan when the Pope met the Grand Imam in Abu Dhabi in 2019,” he said.
“We want to remind people of the importance of fraternity and open dialogue.”
The walls of the pavilion are also adorned with writing from different languages etched over each other, to illustrate how communication has evolved throughout the centuries.
“It symbolises the journey from hieroglyphics with languages including Greek, Latin, Babylonian to the explosion of languages we have today,” said Monsignor Trafny.
“We also have messages in Braille, and in computer code as that’s the language of tomorrow.”
The Holy See’s display at Expo serves a much different purpose than the pavilions from other countries, he said.
“Our presence here is more about culture and symbolism than anything else,” he said.
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- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
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Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Year started: 2018
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
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2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
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Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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