Saudi Library Collect Palestinian History Archives

Riyadh, MINA – King Abdul Aziz Public Library (KAPL) in Riyadh has compiled and digitized 820 Jerusalem Sharia Court records, to preserve endangered collections related to Palestinian history and cultural heritage.

The archives collected in collaboration with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), numbering more than 250,000 pages in books and maps, covering Jerusalem’s history since 1528 and available online at the UNRWA Library Network, MEMO reported.

As part of this project, KAPL has also published a large volume illustrated titled “Al-Aqsa”, which contains a large collection of rare documents and photographs of holy sites, heritage sites including the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

These collections are important in preserving Palestinian heritage that Israel wants to erase with its practices and policies, especially the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the collective cultural identity of the Palestinian people.

Majed Al-Ahdal, a supporter of antiques documentation, told Arab News that documentation in principle is a manifestation of humanity and civilization, it is a human condition that expresses an individual’s life and his deep desire for eternity.

The library is one of the most important institutions in the Arab world which is interested in collecting and documenting intellectual publications related to the history and traditions of the region in a significant period of time.

“Today’s documentation is a way to survive the historical erosion and identity of every human being,” Al-Ahdal said. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)