Morocco’s University of al-Qarawiyyin library is one of the world’s oldest libraries and is home to many unique and one-of-a-kind Islamic manuscripts treasured by historians.
The architect leading the renovation is Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni. Chaouni didn’t even know the library existed until she was asked to work on it by the Ministry of Culture. But now that the work in finished, King Mohammed VI is expected to inaugurate its reopening to the public in May, reports the Morocco World News. Until now, the privilege of using the library has been limited to scholars who had to seek formal permission.
The library was founded in the 9th century by a devout and wealthy Muslim woman, Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a rich businessman who immigrated to Fez from modern-day Tunisia. She provided the endowment for building al-Qarawiyyin. Originally a mosque, in the 10th century, it expanded to become a university, Abdelmajid El-Marzi, imam and administrator of the mosque, told The Associated Press.
From the calligraphic designs on the library’s walls to the beautiful ceramic patterns on the floors and the wooden carvings on the ceilings, there is a visual history of almost every ruling dynasty dating back to 859 AD, when the library was first constructed.
The library has been a reference point for scholars from all over the world, and during medieval times, Al-Qarawiyyin played a leading role in the transfer of knowledge between Muslims and Europeans. As a cultural center, the library was to become an important influence in the Muslim world for philosophical and historical studies.
The manuscripts housed in the library date back to the 7th century and include a 9th-century Quran written in Kufic calligraphy, as well as a collection of manuscripts by renowned thinkers of the time, including Ibn Khaldun’s “Muqadimmah.” This 14th-century work spent six months at the Louvre Museum in Paris during the renovations, library curator Abdelfattah Bougchouf said, according to the Daily Mail.
As part of the renovations, a secure temperature and humidity controlled room was added to protect the historic manuscripts, preserving them for future scholars. “The original manuscript room door had four locks,” Bougchouf told The AP. “Each of those keys was kept with four different people. In order to open the manuscript room, all four of those people had to physically be there to open the door.”
Actually, due to uncoordinated efforts in doing repairs over the centuries, the library fell into a very poor state. Even though academics had access to the library, its deteriorating condition made it unsafe, even for them. “When I first visited, I was shocked at the state of the place,” Chaouni said. “In rooms containing precious manuscripts dating back to the 7th century, the temperature and moisture were uncontrolled, and there were cracks in the ceiling.”
Chaouni and her team attempted to “revive and imitate” the building’s original features, such as the fountains and the intricate “zaleej” tile-work. The renovated library now is using sustainable technologies, like solar panels and rainwater collection systems to prepare it for the future.
When the library opens its doors next month, guests will see a complex that includes “a reading room, book stacks, a conference room, a manuscript restoration laboratory, and a rare books collection, along with new administrative offices and a café,” said Chaouni.
