Arabic Manuscripts on Islamic Science
The collection contains several early works, like a 14th-century copy of Zainaddin al-Jurjani’s medical work, At-tadhkira al-Ashrafiyya (Mingana no. 1946) and al-Dinawari’s 13th-century copy of his treatise on oneiromancy (SOAS no. 242). Other, more recent copies shed light on the reception history of classical texts in the Islamic world, some of which were based on Greek scientific traditions. SOAS no. 349, for example, is an Indian copy from 1785 of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi’s Arabic version of Euclid’s Elementa.
Many such “canonical” texts are included in this collection, like the works of Ibn Sina and Ibn Sallum in the medical section. At the same time this IDC collection also has unique, unknown works not mentioned in bibliographies. This is particularly true for a number of miscellanies, which not only contain new texts, but also provide detailed information about the production and use of Arabic manuscripts in the pre-modern era.
The collection contains several early works, like a 14th-century copy of Zainaddin al-Jurjani’s medical work, At-tadhkira al-Ashrafiyya (Mingana no. 1946) and al-Dinawari’s 13th-century copy of his treatise on oneiromancy (SOAS no. 242). Other, more recent copies shed light on the reception history of classical texts in the Islamic world, some of which were based on Greek scientific traditions. SOAS no. 349, for example, is an Indian copy from 1785 of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi’s Arabic version of Euclid’s Elementa.
Many such “canonical” texts are included in this collection, like the works of Ibn Sina and Ibn Sallum in the medical section. At the same time this IDC collection also has unique, unknown works not mentioned in bibliographies. This is particularly true for a number of miscellanies, which not only contain new texts, but also provide detailed information about the production and use of Arabic manuscripts in the pre-modern era.