Offers a unique experience for exhibition visitors

18 treasures of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library at Abu Dhabi Book Center

  • Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is an enlightening cultural centre. From the source

  • Mohammed Al Mazrouei: "Our participation will introduce the exhibition audience to the library's treasures of knowledge that are available in more than 70 languages in all disciplines."

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The Mohammed bin Rashid Library will showcase for the first time outside its corridors 18 rare pieces from the collections of the Munitions and Special Collections Fair during its participation in the 32nd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which will take place from 22 to 28 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Dr. Mohammed Salem Al Mazrouei, Board Member of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, said: "The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is one of the most prominent regional and international book fairs and cultural events, which represents a vital platform for publishers, writers and readers to interact and exchange ideas and information, and contributes to promoting cultural exchange, dialogue and cultural understanding between different cultures, reflecting the UAE's commitment to promoting reading and learning, providing access to knowledge and supporting the leading publishing industry."

He added that "the 18 collections that will be displayed to visitors to the pavilion are part of the many rarities that abound in the ammunition exhibition, amounting to about 300 rare pieces, reflecting our mission to preserve the heritage and cultural heritage of humanity, and to provide a unique experience for visitors at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair."

Al Mazrouei continued: "Our participation in the exhibition reflects our vision, strategy and belief in the importance of expanding cultural strategic partnerships through cooperation with publishing houses, writers and creators, and following up on the latest developments and publications in all fields and disciplines, in a way that supports diversity in our sources, contents and knowledge treasures," pointing out that the participation also comes to introduce the public to the knowledge treasures of our library that are available in more than 70 languages in all disciplines and fields.

He explained that "the Mohammed bin Rashid Library represents a community and cultural center that provides enrichment for the mind and soul, and an ideal place for the family thanks to its distinguished recreational facilities, including the language park, theaters and halls, the ammunition exhibition and the latest artificial intelligence technologies adopted and used in their sides."

Among the most prominent rare objects on display in the pavilion of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library are a rare illustrated Latin translation of Ibn Sina's Canon of Medicine 1562, the world's most famous medical book, a large volume of the Holy Quran dating back to the Mamluk era, and the Atlas of the World's Cities 1593-1594 by Brown and Hogenberg, which is a unique gem in city mapping with its paintings showing wide panoramic views.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library will also screen the first edition of the first novel from the popular Harry Potter series "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 1997" by Jay. K. Rowling, The Thousand and One Nights 1839-1842, a rare and complete Arabic edition of the stories published by Sir William Macington in Calcutta, and Ibn Khaldun's Introduction, Paris edition 1858, the first edition of the Arabic text.

Masterpieces of the seventh floor

The corridors of the seventh floor of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library house the Reliquary Gallery, which displays an impressive collection of rare and ancient books, atlases and manuscripts, some dating back to the 13th century AD, including rare copies of the Holy Qur'an, early editions of literary classics publications, Latin translations of scientific works from the Islamic Golden Age, and the first edition of Napoleon's volume "Description of Egypt", an encyclopedic record of Egyptian antiquities and Egyptian history in the 18th century.

• 300 rare pieces in the library.