Category Archives: Archive

ARSHEEF ارشيف

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Arsheef is a collaborative project led by graduate students, funded by the Department of Near Eastern Studies, and co-sponsored by the Humanities Council at Princeton University. Arsheef’s mission is to provide a guide to libraries and archives across North Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and South Asia, with the goal of “promoting research in these regions”.

Given the financial, geographical, and political barriers to accessing libraries and archives in these areas, Arsheef aims to provide both a guide and links to digital collections, making resources more accessible.

Arsheef is an evolving project, currently organized into two main sections on their website: “Guides” and “Digital.”

In the “Guides” section, libraries and archives are listed by country. Each entry includes detailed information, from introductions and histories to how to access details and more about each institution.

They have compiled a list of libraries and archives for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Tunisia, and Turkey.

In the “Digital” section, they provide a list of digital collections across various countries that contain manuscripts, rare books, and materials relevant to the study of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. This section is also organized by country, and each collection has a brief introduction and a link.

It is worth noting that, for Canada, the Digital section highlights a collection of Indo-Persian manuscripts available at McGill University Library.

Another valuable resource in the “Digital” section is a list of Online Union Catalogs.

“Union catalogs combine the collections of multiple libraries and are therefore an efficient tool to quickly find material.”

Arsheef also welcomes contributions from scholars and students interested in providing information about libraries and archives related to North Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and South Asia.

If you are interested to join them : https://www.arsheef.org/contribute

Arab Center for Architecture

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The Arab Center for Architecture (ACA), based in Lebanon, with a forward-thinking approach aims to raise awareness about architecture and urbanism in the context of the Arab world.

“ACA wishes to develop the cultural value of architecture and design and the recognition of the social impact it has on urban regeneration, building communities, education and vocational development.”

The Arab Center for Architecture (ACA) believes that while looking at the past and its successful architecture is important, but it may not be sufficient for building the future. Therefore, ACA seeks to place greater emphasis on current cultural heritage and significance and environmental considerations at the center of debates and discussions surrounding architecture.

Their two main objectives are

a. “To create a research center for modern architecture that is accessible to students, researchers, and professionals.“

b. “To promote knowledge about modern architectural heritage and participate in its protection.“

To achieve these objectives and given that archives “play an essential role in the development of societies by safeguarding and contributing to individual and community memory, promoting democracy, protecting citizens, and enhancing the quality of life,” as outlined in the Universal Declaration on Archives adopted by the 36th session of the General Conference of UNESCO and the International Council on Archives; ACA is dedicated to build a physical archive collecting related material to modern architecture in Lebanon, to also preserve and make accessible the archival materials from the 1900s and 2000s in Lebanon and the Arab world to the public and researchers.

The Arab Center for Architecture believes that architectural archives not only make knowledge accessible to everyone but also preserve the history and transformation of buildings and neighborhoods, aiding in preservation efforts. As such, ACA is committed to searching for, identifying, collecting, preserving, and digitizing architectural collections, documents, photographs, plans, drawings, and more.

ACA’s collection is continuously growing. Currently, it includes:

  • Wassek Adib (1926-2014) and Karol Schayer (1900-1971)
  • George Rais (1915-2002)

In addition, there are a few elements from the archives of:

  • Ferdinand Dagher (1915-2002)
  • Pierre Neema (1931-2015)
  • Antoine Tabet (1907-1964)

The Center also has access to the archives of:

  • Georges Doumani (1923-2018)
  • Assem Salam (1924-2012)
  • Farid Trad (1901-1969)
https://arab-architecture.org/architecture-archives/the-collection

The ACA, along with its archive, operates a research center that builds on its physical archives, database, reference library, and connections with local and regional institutions to advance knowledge and studies on architecture and urban development.

ACA’s database, developed through extensive document and information collection, focuses on 20th-century Arab world buildings, particularly from the 1940s-1970s. Organized by architect/engineer and building, it allows searches by year, location, and building type, and includes sources, building locations, and related information.

The Research Center of the ACA is working to develop a Reference Library on architecture and the Built environment in the Arab World.

They have also introduced a suggestion form for book recommendations.

Sursock Museum

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Located in Beirut, the Sursock Museum houses modern and contemporary art and is known for its distinctive architecture, built in 1912, featuring Lebanese architecture with Venetian and Ottoman influences.

This rich architectural heritage, once the private villa of Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock, was transformed into a museum in 1961 according to his will.

The Sursock Museum aims to preserve and safeguard the collective memory of Beirut, as it has witnessed various historic events and conflicts over time. The most recent event it has endured was the explosion at the Port of Beirut in 2020.

The Sursock Museum also aims to provide a platform for critical thinking, debates, and learning through various means such as collaborating with Lebanese artists in curating exhibitions, creating publications, and maintaining a library and permanent collection.

Exhibition: Je suis inculte! The Salon d’Automne and the National Canon, Curated by Natasha Gasparian and Ziad Kiblawi
26 May 2023 to 15 May 2025 Collection
Exhibition: Sympoietic Fabrics, Charbel Samuel Aoun, 29 February 2024 to 25 August 2024,Twin Galleries, GF

Numerous exhibitions have been held at the museum, showcasing both international and Lebanese artists, including Abboud and Amine el Bacha. Additionally, the museum offers access to modern and contemporary art collections as well as Islamic art. “The collection consists of over 800 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and graphic arts from the 19th and 20th centuries.”

Their collection page presents some of the artworks and provides details about them, including the artist’s name, date of creation, and more.

Accessible collection via the Museum pages are:

The Sursock Museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art is comprised of works by predominantly Lebanese artists, from the late 1800s to the early 2000s.”

The Oriental collection comprises Islamic and late Ottoman artworks, as well as textiles, carpets, and icons.”

The special collections include a series of Japanese woodcut prints gifted to the Sursock Museum by the Embassy of Japan in Lebanon following an exhibition at the Museum in 1966.”

Along with his 19th century mansion, Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock’s waqf covers a collection of furniture and objects he had collected or been gifted from various destinations.”

The Sursock Museum is home to The Fouad Debbas Collection, a photographic collection comprising over 30,000 images from the Middle East, from 1830 till the 1960s.”

In the exhibition section, a list of past and present displays can be explored, with detailed information about each exhibition provided.

In addition to its collections and exhibitions, the Sursock Museum has a library and archive that collect, preserve, and make accessible local and regional art historical research for students, researchers, curators, and the wider public. The library holds about 4,000 books. While the books are only accessible on-site, the library catalog can be accessed and downloaded from the museum’s website.

In conclusion, the Sursock Museum through its diverse collections, exhibitions, and educational initiatives, continues to be an important platform for artistic expression, historical preservation, and cultural dialogue.

Attasi Foundation collection: Syrian art and culture

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Atassi Foundation was established in 2016 as a non-profit initiative with the mission to safeguard and promote modern and contemporary Syrian art as well as archives from Syria.

Elias Ayoub, Jasmine Fall, acrylic on canvas, 69 x 139 cm, 2022, presented at New Perspectives Project, @ Foundry from February 27th to April 10th, 2023

This Foundation is the legacy of Atassi Gallery which was a private art gallery founded by two sisters Mouna and Mayla Atassi in 1986 in the attic of their bookstore. The art gallery later expanded its activities thus hosted some exhibitions by renowned Syrian artists (Fateh Moudarres, Abdullah Mourad, and Ahmad Durak-Sibai). Later the gallery moved from Homs to Damascus and started their international and regional collaborations, symposiums, publication…

Art work by Mohamad Khayata presented at New Perspectives Project, @ Foundry from February 27th to April 10th, 2023


Atassi Gallery having an important role in Syria’s emerging independent cultural scene, and being hub for intellectuals, writers, filmmakers and artist, transformed into Atassi Foundation in response to challenging times in the recent years with “the belief that art and culture play a necessary and vital role in subduing the ravages of violence, repairing the damages of war and in preserving the history and culture of Syria for generations to come. “

“The voices of artists today rise to counter destruction and violence, to make sense of it and to persevere. Their talents and work are sources of hope, identity and inspiration for future generations.” -Shireen Atassi

https://www.atassifoundation.com/news

Atassi Foundation is aiming to promote Syrian’s cultural heritage as well as critical thinking, research and knowledge promoting to connect the past and future of art production. To achieve this goal, the Atassi Foundation has provided access to a diverse range of materials and information, including various art collection, projects, journal publication (The Journal), podcast (HIWAR) and last but not least an archive collection: Modern Art Syria Archive (MASA).

Atassi Foundation’s art collection consists of early 20th century modern and contemporary Syrian art work and showcases the work of over 70 artists in various forms from paper to photography, sculpture and more.

Artworks are organized by artists’ names, and a description and biography of the artist are provided.

The Projects cover Foundation’s collaborations, Exhibition, research projects and publications. Under each category comprehensive information is provided along with links to the project or research or the collection.

The modern Art Syria Archive is an online archive focusing on modern Syrian art, aiming to draw international attention and interest in Syrian art.

It provides access to three archive collections: The Archives of Atassi Gallery, The Archives of Mahmoud Hammad and The Archives of Leila Nseir. Each consists of various types of archival material including photographs, letters, personal documents, manuscripts and etc, as well as comprehensive information and history about the archive and the artist. Moreover, all the archival materials are accessible as well.

The Archives of Leila Nseir: Leila Nseir at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo, 60s

In summary, the Atassi Foundation is dedicated to preserving Syria’s rich cultural heritage and advancing the future of its artistic landscape.

Art work by Fadi Yazigi: Untitled’ Mixed Media in Box-Front, 26 x 33 x 25 cm
Art work by Fadi Yazigi: “Untitled” 74 x 60 cm. Mixed Media on Paper on Canvas, 2012
Art work by Lutfi Al Romhein
Art work by Monif Ajaj, at New Perspectives Project, 2021

 Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies Archives (KCLDS)

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The KCLDS Archive serves as the repository for the Khayrallah Center, established in 2010 by Dr. Moise A. Khayrallah. Initially established to research and conserve history of Lebanese in U.S, the center evolved into a larger project and extended beyond the United States, eventually becoming the Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies. As a result of its growth, the center curated a museum exhibit, produced a documentary, and established an archive (KCLDS).

KCLDS Archive houses historical and cultural resources about Lebanese diaspora in the United States and across the world.

“We preserve the heritage and memories of the Lebanese diaspora community and make it accessible through our digital and physical archives.“

The Archive can be explored through three main categories: Collection Guides, Browse the Collection, or Browse the Item. There are 112 collections available, containing a total of 11,634 items.

When using Browse the Collection menu, you can search either in title order or based on the time the item was added to the collection. Detailed information is provided for each collection, such as: Title, Subject, Biographical/Historical Note, Publisher, Date, Language, etc. but more importantly a full description of the collection and finally access to the collection.

Moreover, searching on the item level gives more search criteria, such as Browse by Tag, Item or Reference, also results can be sorted by Title, Creator, Item Date, etc.

Another valuable feature at the item level is the Citation section. When available it is possible to see if the resource was cited, when where and by who.

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Collection Guides, however, provide access to the collection by title or categories.

Moreover, it is possible to search in Arabic using the Arabic-Language Publication Database menu, which provides access to Arabic- language newspaper and books in the States between 1880s to 1950s.

Early Arab immigrants in North and South America have left a rich legacy and history. Much of their histories have been recorded in millions of pages of Arabic newspapers, books, magazines, and other publications. Yet, this rich record has been largely inaccessible because it was dispersed, stored in disparate archives, and stored in older technologies like microfilm. Now, The Khayrallah Center’s Arabic Newspaper Database makes these records digitally searchable.

KCLDS Archive offers variety of resources for researchers, scholars, and anyone interested in exploring Lebanese diaspora. The archive not only preserves the past but also sheds light on the present and provides access to resources for future. With its diverse collection guides, browsing options, and Arabic-Language Publication Database, the archive invites users to access its wealth of materials, facilitating research, discovery, and understanding of the Lebanese diaspora’s journey, memories, and heritage.

The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive / أرشيف المتحف الفلسطيني الرقمي

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Sponsored by the Arcadia fund, the Palestinian Museum Digital Archive aims at collecting, digitizing and making widely available (in Open Access) endangered archival materials documenting Palestinian life and history. Started in 2018, the project has now reached its third phase involving partnerships inside and outside Palestine as well as a broadening of the geographical scope covered.

At the time of our visit, the archive included over 200,000 documents like “identification papers, official records, letters, diaries, manuscripts, maps, photographs, films, and audio recordings” collected from individuals, families, and institutions. The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive only keeps digital surrogates and return the original documents to their owners after processing.

Visitors can either Search the archive, Browse collections or Explore topics.

The basic search only requires to enter keyword(s) in the search bar at the top-right corner of the page. The advanced search offers a more refined search where you can limit by:

  • date (default year range is 1900-2024)
  • type(s) of material
  • collection(s) (generally named after donor)
  • entity(ies) (i.e. institution, organization, etc.)
  • location(s).
Basic search
Advanced search

The collection browse allows to identify specific archives of interest before searching them. The number of documents in each collection range from less than a hundred to thousands of documents. The time period covered is clearly stated at the right-top corner of each collection:

The topics exploration offers a different way of navigating the website through subjects assigned to documents. Among the long list of topics (fifteen in total), visitors will find the following:

The number of documents in each category is indicated right beside the topic, and when scrolling over the topic, a series of thumbnails gives a snapshot of items that will be found under this topic. To ease navigation, the list could be sorted alphabetically.

It is important to note that all materials in the Palestinian Museum Digital Archive are “copyrighted either by the museum or by third parties who have granted permission for their materials to be included on this site. Visitors can therefore only use the documents “for personal, educational, non-commercial use, or for fair use as defined in the United States copyright laws.” It is possible to ask for high-resolution images by emailing info@palarchive.org or sending the request via the form available here.

To submit your personal archive, you may fill out the following form:

The website is entirely bilingual English and Arabic.

Archives Africa

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Archives Africa is an online catalogue of archival collections documenting the history of Madagascar. Building on a former collaboration contributing to the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme, the overall project entitled Finding Africa: exploring the potential of a continent’s archives was developed and run by information professionals from King’s College London and the Direction des Archives Nationales de Madagascar. A first phase focused on Madagascar Prime Minister registers between 1864 and 1896. The second phase of the project targeted Diplomatic archives from the 19th century.

In addition to aiming at identifying and locating archival materials indispensable to scholarship, the project also explored faster and more appropriate ways to describe and catalogue archival collections “from an African perspective”. To do so, they reflected on traditional Western archival practices, and worked towards adapting them and/or creating new practice better suited for archival materials in non-European languages. They worked closely with partners at SCOLMA, a “forum for librarians, archivists and others concerned with African studies materials in libraries and archives in the United Kingdom”.

The rationale behind the project is thoroughly explained in this video posted on the ‘About‘ page:

The ‘Archives Africa Catalogues‘ section is the heart of the website as it includes the records of archival collections. Catalogues can be discovered browsing a number of categories:

At the time of our visit, the total number of collections cataloguing records in the database was close to 900, identifying and locating a much larger number of documents in Malagasy, French, and English.

The News section, despite not having been updated since 2018, makes available interesting and insightful information about the project.

Those interested in learning more about African archives further should consult the International African Institute‘s website, in particular the African digital repositories page. Based in the United Kingdom (at the School for African and Oriental Studies, SOAS), the IAI “promotes the scholarly study of Africa’s history, societies and cultures” for which archival sources are essential.

Nakba Archive

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Launched in 2002, the Nakba Archive is an oral history collective based in Lebanon aiming to document the social and cultural lives in Palestine before 1948. Over the years, the Archive interviewed over 650 first generation Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and recorded “their recollections of life in Palestine and the events that led to their displacement.” The primary objective of the Nakba Archive has been to complete existing written record by allowing refugees to document their histories in their own terms.

“Diana Allan founded the Nakba Archive in June 2002. She has a doctorate in anthropology and film from Harvard University and has worked on a several activist media projects in the region. Video documentaries include: Chatila, Beirut (2002); Still Life (2007); and Terrace of the Sea (2010).” She is currently an Associate Professor in Anthropology & Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID) at McGill University. Co-founder and manager, Mahmoud Zeidan, is a Palestinian refugee from Ayn al-Helweh camp in Lebanon and active member of the Lebanese Center for Refugees Rights Aidun.

Despite not having been updated in a very long time, the Nakba Archive website remains a valuable source of information on where to find, and how to access the interviews conducted in its early years. A few excerpts have been made accessible from the NA website, but the vast majority of the audio and video recordings can today be found in the Jafet Library (American University of Beirut):

Another part of the the project, Photo48, included scanning “personal photos and documents (registration papers, land deeds, marriage licenses, birth certificates, etc.) which refugees brought with them from Palestine.” Unfortunately, these materials don’t seems to have been made available online anywhere. Interested people could always reach out to the Nakba Archives founders to inquire about them.

Last, the Nakba Archive produced in 2005 and 2008 two documentaries about archival work that can be ordered from the website, or found in your library: Nakba Archive Excerpts is available at McGill University Library.

Indian Princely States Online Legal History Archive

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The Indian Princely States Online Legal History Archive (IPSOLHA) is an online archive for primary and secondary sources related to the legal and administrative history of the Indian Princely States started in 2021. Originally sponsored by the Society of Fellows of Dartmouth College, and a Digital Scholarship Grant from the American Institute of Indian Studies Digital Learning Initiative, the project later received support from the Department of History and Information Technology & Consulting at Dartmouth College as well as the South Asia Open Archives (SAOA) at the Center for Research Libraries.

“During the period of British colonial rule, there were hundreds of semi-sovereign, semi-autonomous states across the South Asian subcontinent. (…) these states (…) were incubators for innovative legal, administrative, and political ideas and offered a unique counterbalance to the hegemony of British rule. Yet despite their unique history, studying these states is complicated by the scattered nature of their archival remains.“

‘About the Project‘, IPSOLHA

The main objective of IPSOLHA is to make the archives relating to these Princely States ,more easily accessible by identifying, cataloguing, and digitizing them when possible to support the legal and administrative history of the Indian Princely States. At the time of our visit, the database included the description of more than 3,000 individual documents, and future efforts will focus not only on continuing to enrich the database with new materials, but also on promoting it as a research tool starting with a series of presentations by Elizabeth Lhost, principal investigator.

The Indian Princely States Online Legal History Archive proposes eight categories based on resources types to browse the collection:

Card view
Table view
Records view

Each category displays a list of sources -in a customizable view- some of which accessible online, others to be consulted on site at their holding institution. The left-hand side menu allow visitors to filter results by Subject Headings, Document type, Language, State, and Holding Institutions.

Specialists will particularly appreciate that documents in many languages (English, Gujarati, Hindi, Hindustani, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Urdu, etc.) are included in the database, and that Princely States are identified for each source.

For each item listed, IPSOLHA provides a lengthy description including Subject Headings and Type of resource tags allowing to navigate documents within the database (Main & IPSOLHA tabs), and instructions for accessing the materials (Access tab):

Main tab
IPSOLHA tab
Access tab

Interested scholars can get in touch with the project team at ipsolha [at] gmail.com, use the Contact form, or follow updates on Facebook, Twitter.

The Timbuktu Manuscripts

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The Timbuktu Manuscripts: discover a trove of Timbuktu’s ancient manuscripts digital exhibition and collection is the result of a collaboration between a Malian association called SAVAMA-DCI whose main goal is to preserve and make widely available Arabic manuscripts from Timbuktu and Google Arts & Culture.

Back in 1973, a preservation campaign of the Timbuktu’s collection made of approximately 400,000 codices was initiated by the Ahmed Baba Center (CEDRAB). In 1996, the newly founded association SAVAMA-DCI started raising awareness among private owners about the value of their family manuscripts, providing technical and financial support for the processing and conservation of these materials, and encouraging them to keep the manuscripts in their possession. If funding was limited at first, the association was over time able to collect enough funds to ensure the preservation and inventory of the collections. In 2012, with the jihadist occupation of Northern Mali, the fear that manuscripts would be destroyed lead to the transfer of Timbuktu’s manuscripts collections to other towns in the region like Bamako. According to SAMAVA-DCI over 370.000 codices were rescued.

« Dans la nuit noire de notre existence, les manuscrits sont les projecteurs qui éclairent le passé. »

Dr. Abdel Kader Haidara, fondateur de SAVAMA-DCI

The Timbuktu Manuscripts virtual exhibition is incredibly rich (more than 40.000 manuscripts from libraries and private collections) and provides many options to learn about the collections, their history, and the rescue and preservation processes.

Explore the numerous options available to navigate the exhibition

The website includes:

  • shorts videos documenting the manuscripts’ preservation
  • pictures documenting the rescue operations, and the digitization of manuscripts
  • topical sub-collections of digitized manuscripts (astronomy, ethics, jurisprudence, mathematics, medicine, geography, etc.)
  • general information about the Arabic manuscripts tradition with a focus on the African tradition
  • detailed descriptions of the collections composing The Timbuktu Manuscripts collection
  • historical and literary information situating these manuscripts in the larger context of knowledge production and dissemination in Africa and beyond.

The most incredible experience offered via this virtual exhibition is the digital archives of the Timbuktu Manuscripts:

The main page gallery is staggering.

The archives includes more than 400,000 handwritten pages from the Qur’an, mathematical, astronomical and medical treatises, sex and black magic manuals, etc. dating from the 11th to the 20th century. A selection of manuscripts are accessible full-text from section 2. The Books. Section 3. Grid View allows to glance at individual pages displayed in a table view when section 4. A Universe of Verses gives access to individual pages in what appears like a much less organized display:

  • 2. The Books
  • 3. Grid View
  • 4. A Universe of Verses

At the very bottom of the main page, The Timbuktu Manuscripts virtual exhibition links to other Google Arts & Culture projects to learn more about Malian music, modern art, architectural heritage, etc.

The Timbuktu Manuscripts website will default to the language of your Google Account. But the interface is accessible in any language available in Google (although some content may not translate).

And for those eager to learn more about the Timbuktu manuscripts, we suggest they go visit the Tombouctou Manuscripts Project website. This project focusing on the “content of the manuscripts, the circulation of scholars and ideas, the economy of the manuscript book, and other aspects of the “work of scholarship” in Timbuktu” was established in 2003 by an Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and remains very active.