Emergency Intervention Project for the Protection and Digitization of Private and Public Libraries in Sana’a and Sa’dah
About the Project
Amid the difficult circumstances Yemen is facing—including ongoing war, the spread of COVID-19, increasing security threats, airstrikes, and armed conflict—the country’s cultural heritage, especially manuscripts housed in private and public libraries, is under significant risk of destruction. In addition to the threat of conflict, poor storage conditions and environmental factors pose serious dangers to these invaluable collections, particularly in Sana’a and Sa’dah.
This project was launched as an urgent response to safeguard these cultural treasures from the consequences of conflict, airstrikes, and poor preservation environments. It aims to ensure the protection and continuity of historical manuscripts that reflect the cultural and religious identity of Yemen.
Project Objectives
Manuscript Protection
To ensure the effective protection of manuscripts in both private and public libraries from airstrikes, violations, environmental factors, and poor storage conditions.
Community Awareness
To raise public awareness of the importance of cultural heritage.
Accessibility
To enable access to these manuscripts for scholarly and cultural research.
Project Activities
Assessment: Evaluating the condition of the targeted manuscripts and libraries.
Preliminary Cataloging: Indexing the manuscripts to facilitate access and reference.
Digitization: Digitally photographing the manuscripts to ensure safe preservation.
Restoration: Repairing damaged manuscripts to ensure their longevity.
Preservation: Implementing conservation measures to protect the manuscripts in secure environments.
Statistics & Achievements
Manuscript Count
Full assessment and restoration of 400 manuscripts. Cataloging and digitization of 500 manuscripts.
Project Duration
The project was implemented over 19 months during the years 2019–2020.
Achievements
The project encompasses 5,000 manuscripts located in Sana’a and Sa’dah.
Project Manuscripts
You can explore all the manuscripts preserved and documented through the Emergency Intervention Project for the Protection and Digitization of Private and Public Libraries in Sana’a and Sa’dah.
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