Qatar National Library opens its doors to showcase rare Heritage Collection

QNL invites public on April 18 to explore a prized collection containing the oldest printed map

of Qatar and first detailed photographs of Mecca

Doha, 14 April 2013

Qatar National Library will be hosting a Special open day on April 18 for all members of the community to explore and enjoy its remarkable Heritage Collection. The collection includes a rare trove of manuscripts, books, and artefacts documenting a wealth of Arab-Islamic civilisation and human thought.

The Heritage Collection will reside in the centre of Qatar National Library's new building, which has been designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas. QNL, a member of Qatar Foundation, will for the first time provide the public with the opportunity to view the collection up-close in celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites this year, which is being held under the theme 'Heritage of Education'.

Commenting on the upcoming event, Dr Claudia Lux, Qatar National Library's Project Director said, "The Heritage Collection - the heart of the new Qatar National Library - is a place families, students, researchers and tourists can see, explore, and enjoy now. On the occasion of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, the Qatar National Library is proud to join with families, foreign dignitaries and cultural luminaries to explore the rich history of human thought that we all share and which is reflected so comprehensively in our Heritage Collection. With ambitious efforts to digitise and share these rare materials already underway, the Qatar National Library is, under the visionary leadership and inspiring direction of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, doing its part to bridge Qatar's rich heritage with its future using knowledge. We are enormously grateful to His Excellency Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Al Thani for his generosity and passion in assembling such a significant and relevant historical record for the people of Qatar and the Gulf."

The International Day for Monuments and Sites is held on April 18 every year and has been established to celebrate the diversity of heritage throughout the world. The day was proposed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites in 1982 and approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983. This year, libraries, schools, universities and academies around the world will celebrate the history of education across cultures and geographies by exploring and preserving valued cultural assets such as Qatar's Heritage Collection.

Beginning in the 1980s with His Excellency Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Al Thani, the Heritage Collection is an unparalleled contribution of historical sources about Qatar, including writings by travellers and explorers who visited the Arabian Gulf region. Among its more than 100,000 works, the collection contains an edition of Ptolemy's Geographia, which was printed in Rome in 1478 and is the oldest printed map showing the name of Qatar or referred to in Latin as 'Catara'. The collection also houses a rare volume of pictures consisting of the first detailed photographs of Mecca taken in 1888 by Dutch scholar Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, announced the new Qatar National Library on 19 November 2012. Qatar National Library is helping to bridge Qatar's heritage with its future by preserving the nation's rich cultural and historical record and by providing the necessary tools for lifelong learning, invention, and research.

Qatar National Library will be offering the public tours to shed light on the Heritage Collection's most treasured items. An exclusive programme for students from local schools will take place in the morning. Tours will commence at 1pm and continue until 6pm. Qatar National Library's Heritage Collection is currently housed at 71 Al-Maha Street, off Luqta Street near Immigration Roundabout.

To get instant and free access to Qatar National Library's digital media collections, including concerts, documentaries, and the latest bestsellers, please visit: www.qnl.qa

For those who are unable to attend on 18 April, please visit the following link to fill in a request for a tour of the Heritage Collection: www.qnl.qa/visit-request-form

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Qatar National Library - Bridge with knowledge Qatar's heritage and future
Qatar National Library a non-profit organization under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Qatar National Library is supporting Qatar on its journey from carbon economy to knowledge economy by providing resources to students, researchers and the community in Qatar. It was announced November 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.

QNL carries out its mission through three functions, National Library, University Library and a Metropolitan Public Library. The National Library function collects and provides access to the World's knowledge relevant to Qatar and the region. It also collects, preserves and provides access to heritage publications and documents about Qatar and the region. The University Library function supports education at all levels by providing a digital library to students and researchers. Metropolitan public library delivers library services and information for all to become information literate.

Learn more about Qatar National Library online at www.qnl.qa
Twitter: @QNLib
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheQatarNationalLibrary

Media Contact:
Rami Yashruti
Grayling
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e : rami.yashruti@grayling.com