2012 Introduction to Islamic Codicology
6-13 February 2012, Cairo, Egypt
The Islamic Manuscript Association is pleased to announce that it will cohost a short introductory course on Islamic codicology with the Textual Editing Center of al-Azhar University, the National Library of Egypt, the Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation, and the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge from 6-13 February 2012 in Cairo, Egypt.
This course will introduce the study of Islamic manuscript codices as physical objects, or the archaeology of the Islamic book. Daily illustrated lectures will provide an overview of writing supports; the structure of quires; ruling and page layout; bookbinding; illumination; tools and materials used in book making; the paleography of book hands; and paratexts, inlcuding colophons, endowment deeds, reading and listening certificates, and ownership marks. Participants will also visit the manuscript collections of the National Library of Egypt and al-Azhar University.
The course will be taught by Dr Ayman Fu'ad Sayyid, director of the Textual Editing Center, board member emeritus of the Islamic Manuscript Association, editor of several critical editions of Islamic manuscripts, author of al-Kitab al-‘Arabi al-Makhtut wa ‘Ilm al-Makhtutat, and translator of Professor FranÁois DÈroche’s book Islamic Codicology: An Introduction to the Study of Manuscripts in Arabic Script.
Please note that this course requires will be taught in Arabic. It is suitable for art historians, bookbinders, conservators, curators, and anyone else working with Islamic manuscripts. The course is limited to forty persons.
Made possible with the kind support of
