Visit to the Manuscripts Museum

As part of efforts to strengthen cultural collaboration and exchange expertise in the field of heritage preservation, Dr. Esra Alhamel, Director of the School of Calligraphy and Ornamentation, visited the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, where she explored the library’s approach to manuscript conservation and management in accordance with specialised scientific standards.

The visit included a tour of the Manuscripts Museum, which houses collections of historical manuscripts and documents. The museum is dedicated to studying, cataloguing, and presenting these materials to researchers and visitors. Dr. Esra Alhamal was introduced to the preservation and documentation systems that ensure the long-term sustainability of these valuable works.

The tour also included a visit to the Manuscript Restoration Laboratory, where she observed the stages of manual restoration. These processes begin with assessing the condition of each manuscript, followed by cleaning and treating areas of damage, and finally stabilising weakened sections using specialised materials that comply with international conservation standards. Preventive conservation methods were also reviewed, particularly those addressing environmental factors that may affect paper and ink.

The visit provided valuable insight into an advanced model of manuscript conservation and opened discussions on potential future collaboration in training and professional exchange.