المخطوطات في ليبيا. الحالة الراهنة وما نجهل. المكتبة المركزية في جامعة بنغازي كدراسة حالة
by Entesar Bianco (Mohamed al-Senoussi University, al-Bayda, Libya)
انتصار بيانكو
جامعة محمد بن علي السنوسي، البيضاء، ليبيا
The talk opened a series of sessions dedicated to the issue of manuscripts in Libya. The general reference on the topic remains Shambesh (1992), in Roper, World Survey of Islamic Manuscripts, IV, 1994. http://www.islamicmanuscripts.info/reference/books/Roper1994-Survey-4/Roper1994-Survey-4-263-278-Libya.pdf 30 years have passed. It requires today a deep updating of the data it contains.
فتحت المحاضرة بابا جديدا في إطار جلسات وبينار ليبميد بخصوص المخطوطات في ليبيا. أما المرجع الأساسي فهو مقال فرج ميلاد شمبش الصادر 1992 في
Roper, World Survey of Islamic Manuscripts, IV, 1994. http://www.islamicmanuscripts.info/reference/books/Roper1994-Survey-4/Roper1994-Survey-4-263-278-Libya.pdf
إلا أننا اليوم بحاجة إلى إعادة النظر في محتواه
List of the sites inventoried by Shambesh: (according to their names at that time)
Benī Walīd (1,000 mss)
Benghazi
Dār al-Kutub al-Waṭaniyya (120 mss)
Gar Younis Central University (3,500 mss)
Garza (150 mss)
Ghadames (ca 2,000 mss)
Jadu (?)
Kabaw (?)
Msallata (ca 500 mss)
Misrata (ca 1,500 mss)
al-Rayāyina (ca 200 mss)
Ruhaybat (?)
Sebha (?)
Tripoli
Dār al-Maḥfūẓāt (ca 400 mss)
Ǧamʿiyyat al-Daʿwa l-islāmiyya (ca 50 mss)
al-Fātiḥ Central University (ca 40 mss)
Maṣlaḥat al-Āṯār (?)
Markaz al-Ǧihād (ca 2,650 mss)
Ṭubqa (?)
al-Zāwiya (ca 1,000 mss)
Zliten (?)
Entesar Bianco brought many questions open to debate about the historical CLBG (Central Library of Benghazi University), starting with its catalogue. The last part (vol. 4) was not published. There were still more than 1,000 mss to be inventoried.
فرج ميلاد شمبش، فهرس مخطوطات مكتبة جامعة قاريونس المركزية بنغازي، 3 ج (1982، 1983، 2001)
I = 563 mss
القرآن وعلومه
الحديث وعلومه
توحيد علم الكلام
II = 1,048 mss
الفقه وأصوله
الفرائض
التصوف والمواعظ
الأدعية والأذكار
السيرة النبوية
III = 807 mss
المعارف العامة
المنطق وأدب البحث
علوم اللغة العربية
الكيمياء وسر الحرف
الفلك الميقات وعلم الهيئة
الحساب والجبر
الأدب
الطب والصيدلة والبيطرة
التراجم والمناقب
التاريخ والجغرافيا
Timeline and numbers
1937: the Awqāf Library is founded
1955: Benghazi University is founded
1961: the Jaghbub manuscripts join the Awqāf Library
1971: the Jaghbub manuscripts join the Benghazi University Central Library
original manuscripts: 2,854 + photographed and microfilmed manuscripts: 2,308 = Total 5,162
photographed and microfilmed manuscripts: 2,308
The initial mission of the Library was to collect the Arabic and Islamic Heritage.
2011-: The Revolution that started more than a decade ago affected the operations within the library.
Recently, the CLBG was exposed to fire and robbery. A part (?) of the stolen documents has been recovered by the police.
2010-: a cooperation has been initiated with UNESCO in order to improve the preservation and train the staff in restoration techniques.
2018-: a new inventory has started.
Based on 1,001 dated manuscripts here is the chronological distribution:
6th c. AH/12th c. CE 1
7th c. AH/13th c. CE 10
8th c. AH/14th c. CE 29 medieval period: 145 mss
9th c. AH/15th c. CE 47
10th c. AH/16th c. CE 58
11th c. AH/17th c. CE 141
12th c. AH/18th c. CE 246
13th c. AH /19th c. CE 375
14th c. AH/20th c. CE 94
Based on 5,162 occurrences [2,854 (or.)+2,308 (ph. & mic.)] here is the thematic distribution:
Religious sciences (ʿulūm al-dīn) 1,611 31 %
Principles of Islamic jurisprudence (uṣūl al-fiqh) 505 9,8 %
Linguistics (ʿulūm al-luġa) 375 7,3 %
Spirituality (al-tawḥīd wa-l-taṣawwuf) 312 6 %
Ḥadīṯ (ʿulūm al-ḥadīṯ) 257 5 %
Sermons and invocations (mawāʿiẓ wa-adʿiya) 201 3,9 %
*
* *
A series of questions were debated between the speaker and the audience.
- The famous library of Jaghbub (Senussiya — the city had been founded in 1851 and given to Italy in 1925) is said (Shambesh) to have gathered some 12,000 mss. 3,500 remained after the Italian occupation (ended in 1941). 900 have been left and constitute a source of the CLBG. Where is the rest?
- The future of the manuscript collection is shaped by different tasks. Inventorying — Cataloging (printed+online) — Digitizing — Preserving — Promoting this written heritage. Different participants evoked ways to cooperate with the Department/Institute of manuscripts.