The Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) continues its intellectual and scholarly mission by expanding its manuscript library with a significant collection of rare works across various fields of science and knowledge. This initiative is part of a comprehensive academic project dedicated to preserving, documenting, and safeguarding manuscript heritage.

The head of the Library Department, Ammar Mashallah, stated that the shrine’s manuscript library has acquired more than 8,000 manuscripts through two main channels: direct purchases and donations from prominent scholarly families and individuals with a deep interest in cultural heritage. These efforts have substantially strengthened the library’s academic and research resources.

He explained that the manuscripts cover a wide range of disciplines, including Quranic exegesis, jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, history, Hadith, medicine, astronomy, and philosophy, in addition to other branches of knowledge. The collection features manuscripts written in several languages, most notably Arabic, Persian, and Urdu, highlighting the cultural depth of the project and the richness and diversity of its scholarly content.

Mashallah noted that a specialized restoration and conservation center has been established to preserve these valuable works. The manuscripts have been meticulously cataloged in seven volumes that accurately document their contents. Many of the manuscripts are in the original handwriting of their authors, including renowned Najaf scholars such as Al-Tusi, Al-Allama Al-Hilli, and Ibn Al-Ata’iqi, positioning the library as the second largest manuscript repository in Iraq after the Iraqi National Library and Archives.

He further pointed out that the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) has proactively implemented advanced electronic archiving and storage systems capable of accommodating more than 50,000 manuscripts. These systems ensure long-term preservation and protection from environmental and physical damage.

These initiatives reflect the ongoing efforts of the General Secretariat of the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) to serve intellectual thought, promote knowledge, and preserve humanity’s shared cultural and scholarly heritage.