Ruler of Sharjah donates original manuscripts to Al Qasimia University

Documents are the seventh set donated by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi

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  Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, donated a set of original manuscripts to Al Qasimia University. Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

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  The donation is the seventh set of manuscripts donated by Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi. Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

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  The donation will be added to the inventory of Islamic Manuscripts House, which is based at the university. Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

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  The batch contained 249 original manuscripts on a wide range of subjects. Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

The Ruler of Sharjah has donated a seventh set of original manuscripts to Al Qasimia University.

They will be added to the inventory of Islamic Manuscripts House (IMH) which is at the university.

Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, donated the documents so they could be made available to researchers and specialists for study, a release said on Wednesday.

The batch contained 249 original manuscripts on a range of subjects, including language, philosophy and sciences, written in Arabic and Farsi.

The donation includes four ancient lithographs and 25 parts of the Quran.

In August last year, the ruler donated 12,000 rare books to the emirate's House of Wisdom.

The donation includes valuable publications on the region’s art and architecture, many of which are more than 100 years old.

The rare titles include the private library of German historians Richard and Elizabeth Ettinghausen, both of whom were specialists in Islamic and Arab art.

Sheikh Dr Sultan recently acquired the Ettinghausens' library and has since donated it to the House of Wisdom. The collection contains titles in more than 10 languages, including Arabic, English, German, Japanese, Urdu and Russian.

The Ettinghausens were considered two of the world's most renowned academics in Islamic arts and architecture. Their library includes rare research on arts in the Islamic world including in Iran, India, Spain and Turkey.

Ruler of Sharjah opens University of Khorfakkan – in pictures

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  Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, on Wednesday inaugurated the University of Khorfakkan. All photos: Wam

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  The University of Khorfakkan will offer studies in arts and sciences, information technology, Sharia and business administration.

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  Dr Sheikh Sultan said science and its foundations are the way to achieve progress, a belief that drives Sharjah's efforts in establishing universities and academic institutions across the emirate.

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  Dr Sheikh Sultan also signed an agreement between the University of Khorfakkan and the University of Exeter in England to design and prepare bachelor's programmes in both marine biology and marine science.

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  The University of Sharjah's branches in Kalba and Al Dhaid will become universities in their own right in the coming years.