Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Saving Iraqi manuscripts

RESCUE OPERATION: Unique Christian Manuscripts Safeguarded in Kurdistan (Sharmila Devi, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reposted by AINA).
Arbel, Iraq -- Thousands of ancient Christian manuscripts are being kept safe at an undisclosed location in Kurdistan after being spirited out of Qaraqosh in the Nineveh plain in August, just hours before the town was seized by Islamic State fighters.

Father Nageeb Michaeel, a Dominican priest who master-minded the operation to salvage the unique collection, did not want to say where the collection was being held for fear of attack by ISIS sympathisers. But he allowed Rudaw to see it.

The collection is being kept in an air-conditioned room and it includes manuscripts and documents dating from the 13th century. They represent a sizeable part of Iraq's cultural heritage, he said.

[...]
The article does not specify the language(s) of the manuscripts, but my guess is that they are in Syriac and Arabic. Who knows what treasures are hidden in them?

Recent related posts, mostly with less in the way of good news, are (especially) here, and also here, here, and here, with many links.