As part of the programme Bibliothèques d’Orient (Libraries of the Middle East) supported by the Mellon Foundation, and as part of the project “Safeguarding and digital dissemination of Iraqi written heritage” which is supported by the ALIPH Foundation (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Zones), the BnF organised a training seminar from 13 to 25 June at the Centre de conservation des Églises d’Orient Beit Gazo, near Beirut.

Delivered to 20 Lebanese and Iraqi professionals, the two main themes of the training were the treatment of documents with iron gall inks, and an introduction to preservation binding. Many Iraqi and Lebanese institutions were represented among the beneficiaries, including the Bibliothèque orientale de l’université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, the Maison des manuscrits irakiens de Bagdad, the Ordre antonin chaldéen d’Erbil, the National Library of Lebanon, Balamand University, and the Centre Zheen from Souleymaniyeh.

More information (in French): https://www.bnf.fr/fr/actualites/seminaire-de-formation-en-conservation-au-liban

Photo: Séminaire de formation en conservation au Liban © Tamara Couval/BnF