Since the summer of 2010 the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek has been present in the mobile Internet, presenting an innovative offer: the App “Famous Books”. It was the world’s first library to present digital copies of most valuable, outstanding items from its collections in the form of an App for iPads and iPhones. In 2011, one year later, the library presents the new App “Oriental Books. Oriental Treasures of the Bavarian State Library”, containing precious and remarkable books and manuscripts of the library’s famous and internationally renowned oriental collection. 20 items can be downloaded free of charge in the Apple App store and can be browsed from the first to the last page on the brilliant colour displays of iPads and iPhones. Oriental treasures which so far were hidden in vaults and usually were accessible for the interested public only rarely in exhibitions can now be admired anytime and anywhere.

With the App “Oriental Books” the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek has achieved a further milestone on the way to the virtual library and again gives proof of its competence as innovation centre for digital information technology and services. We invite you to browse “The wonders of creation”, an Arabic illustrated manuscript, which is dated to 1280, “The prayer book of Düzdidil”, a Turkish and Arabic manuscript from 1845 orthe renowned “Book of King”, written in Shiraz between 1550 and 1600. Welcome to the App “Oriental Books. Oriental Treasures of the Bavarian State Library”!