Commentary Manuscripts Conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA)
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Alexandria—the BA Manuscripts Center will organize, in March 2006, the Third International Conference on Manuscripts held this year under the title Commentary Manuscripts by Arab scholars commenting on the works of scholars from the West, India, Egypt, or other Arab scholars. Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, General Abdel Salam Al-Mahgoub, Governor of Alexandria, and Dr. Youssef Ziedan, Director of the BA Manuscripts Center will inaugurate the conference. Scholars and researchers specialized in editing Arabic manuscripts from Egypt, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, England, France, the United States of America, Sweden, Netherlands, as well as other Arab, Western, and Asian countries will participate in the conference.
Dr. Youssef Ziedan stated that the conference focuses on commentary manuscripts commonly believed to be relegated to a secondary position after the commented upon matn or main text. He stressed that on the contrary some commentaries are as equally important as their main texts.
Dr. Youssef Zeidan, Director, Manuscript Center and Museum gave an address commenting on holding the conference in Alexandria, the city of commentary manuscripts. Dr. Zeidan gave an example on the role of Alexandria; the revival of Judaism by Philo of Alexandria, who commented on the Pentateuch; the Greek translation of the Torah; the explanations of Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides), Artemidorus, and Abu Bakr al-Tartushi. Finally, Dr. Youssef Zeidan stated that the conference is reconsidering the commentary manuscripts commonly believed to be relegated to a secondary position after the commented upon matn or main text. He stressed that on the contrary some commentaries are as equally important as their main texts. At the end of the opening session, Dr. Ismail Serageldin and Dr. Youssef Zeidan inaugurated the Commentary Manuscripts Exhibition.
Click here for program
Click here for list of participants
(Please note that the program may be changed)