Restoration, Digitization and Dissemination of Iraqi Documentary Heritage

Iraq is home to numerous important historic manuscript collections be they public, private, or religious. The custodians of these collections have been instrumental in preserving this unique heritage during the conflicts. Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) is collaborating with Christian and Muslim libraries and archives in Iraq to identify, restore, digitize, and publish online these exceptional codices. Local and international partners include the Chaldean Antonian Order of Saint Hormizd (Erbil), the Dominican-led Center for the Digitization of Oriental Manuscripts (Erbil), the Zheen Center for Documentation and Research (Suleymaniyah), House of Manuscripts (Baghdad), the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, the French Institut National du Patrimoine, and l’ Oeuvre d’Orient. The digital versions of the manuscripts will be published in an open access format at the Bibliothèques d’Orient: the web repository of the BnF dedicated to the written heritage of the Middle East.