Manuscripts and old printed books, significant not only for their historical value but also as remarkable works of art, were introduced by Assoc. Prof Dr Hristiyan Atanasov, Chief Archivist of the Oriental Collections Department; Ms Sevdiye Ali; and Dr Nevena Gramatikova, an archivist in the same department at the National Library of Bulgaria, during an informational and educational event held in April 2025 as part of the project “A Visit for an Hour”.

The library experts presented the preserved and processed Ottoman archival treasures housed in the Oriental Collections and explained the department’s structure to a group of American Fulbright scholars and Bulgarian alumni, led by Angela Rodel, Executive Director of the Fulbright Bulgaria Program.

Digitised images and reproductions of some of the archival masterpieces – manuscripts and original documents preserved at the National Library – were also presented. Participants had the rare opportunity to view the fourth surviving transcript in the world of The Geography of the World in Arabic by al-Idrisi, completed in 1153 at the court of King Roger II of Sicily.

“Thanks to the sijills, as the diaries of the qadis are actually called, comparative studies of Sofia, Ruse, and Vidin can be conducted alongside other cities in the Ottoman Empire such as Jerusalem, Damascus, and Belgrade during the 16^th to 18^th centuries”, commented Dr Atanasov. He also noted that the defters available at the National Library offer valuable insights for studying the administrative, financial, and demographic history of the Balkans, Asia Minor, and even North Africa during the same period.

The participants had the opportunity to view old printed books, the original firman by which Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II granted his blessing for the establishment of the first Bulgarian factory in Sliven by Dobri Zhelyazkov, as well as the berat appointing Antim I as the first Bulgarian Exarch.

The monthly informational and educational events within the project “A Visit for an Hour” aim to enhance and expand library activities related to the preservation, online and offline presentation, and display of literary and documentary heritage. These events showcase selected manuscripts, documents, and maps from the library’s rich collections. The expected outcomes include an increased number of visitors of all ages and the promotion of reading practices.

The project is implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture under the Programme “Technological Update, Technological Equipment, and Promotion of Reading, Media, and Information Literacy in Public Libraries”.