This lecture provides an introduction to the methodology of reading Islamic, legal and official documents, and public and private correspondence. It will demonstrate how their content can provide a fertile field for further reading and research, and how they can contribute to a new reading of history. The only way to truly understand the past is to investigate the more obscure evidence and examine the documents and correspondence of relevant individuals and groups.  

In this context we will review, through these introductory lectures, the documents and letters that the Heritage Library has collected from years gone by. These documents have been gathered from different regions, and highlight topics, issues, and ideas that have been overlooked or forgotten by books and other studies. In this way we will build an image of the Heritage Library's collection and examine the possibilities for further research. 

Dr. Moez Al-Duraidi, Senior Archivist, will present different models of legal documents from Algeria, Damascus, Egypt, and Mecca from different eras, in addition to various correspondence between travelers and explorers of different regions in the Middle East.

The event will be conducted online via Zoom. 

Date: 19 March 2023

Time: 5:30 - 7:00 PM

Language: Arabic and English

Target Audience: Researchers   

Seats are limited, please click the button below to register.