Qatar National Library is organizing this academic symposium that will bring together a distinguished group of experts and scholars. The symposium will explore the history of book-making and wiraqah in Morocco and the Maghreb, delving into traditions of authorship and copying, the evolution of materials used in writing, and their impact on the circulation of knowledge.

The symposium is held as part of the Qatar-Morocco 2024 Year of Culture and in celebration of Arabic Manuscript Day 2025, under the patronage of The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO).

The symposium will also examine the potential of modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence and digital humanities, in the study and analysis of manuscripts, while maintaining their scholarly and historical integrity. 

Key Topics of the Symposium 

• Authorship, copying, editing and textual verification traditions in Morocco, and the role of scribes and bookmakers (warraqon) in the transmission of learning
• The history of libraries and their role in manuscript preservation
• Materials used in writing: parchment, paper and inks
• Maghrebi and Andalusian scripts: their varieties and historical development
• The aesthetics of Moroccan manuscripts: illumination, decoration and binding
• Paratexts: marginalia, ownership and documentation notes

The symposium aims to provide a general framework for these topics alongside case studies that highlight the distinctive characteristics of Moroccan and western Islamic manuscripts and trace parallels and distinctions with eastern Islamic traditions. 

Additionally, it will discuss the role of Moroccan bookmakers in transmitting ideas and scholarship across the Islamic world, the socio-economic impacts of that circulation, and the ownership of books in Morocco.

The symposium will be held in-person at Qatar National Library, with sessions conducted in Arabic. Simultaneous interpretation into English will be available on the first day. The sessions of the first day will also be streamed live via Zoom and registered participants will receive a link prior to the event. In addition, the first day will be streamed in the original language via the Library’s YouTube channel. 

Click here to View the Symposium flyer and program.

Date: 14-15 April, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Qatar Time (6:00 AM – 1:00 PM Morocco Time)
Languages: Arabic, with English interpretation provided
Target Audience: Researchers and the general public

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