Today's Edition
Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)
A treasure trove of rare manuscripts and historical prints is captivating visitors at the 34th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), which runs until May 5 at the ADNEC Centre.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), this year’s fair is being held under the theme “Knowledge Illuminates Our Community”. It celebrates the Culture of the Caribbean Basin as Guest of Honour, with renowned philosopher Ibn Sina (Avicenna) as the Focus Personality, and “One Thousand and One Nights” as the Book of the World.
Among the highlights is a collection from Peter Harrington, a leading rare book dealer based in London. Owner Pom Harrington personally curated a selection of invaluable works centred on the Arab world, including a 14th-century original manuscript of Ibn Sina’s “Canon of Medicine” (Canon 5), focusing on pharmacy. “It’s wonderful to have such a piece here, especially with Ibn Sina being honored at the fair,” Harrington told Aletihad.
Other rare items include early Arabic prints produced using the first printing press brought to Egypt by Napoleon in the 1790s, along with one of the earliest French-Arabic dictionaries printed in Cairo in 1798 for Napoleon's troops.
Harrington is also displaying a range of original travel and geographic works, including photographs of the Arabian Peninsula and firsthand accounts of women travelers in Palestine during the 1920s.
These include a 1499 edition of Colonna's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, featuring the first Arabic word ever printed in a European book – a testament to early East-West cultural exchanges.
Harrington said: “We’re here at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair because Abu Dhabi is the best location to exhibit in the Middle East. [Here,] you get to meet the best museums, the best libraries, and the best collectors in the region in one place.”
ADEVA, a leading Austrian publisher specializing in facsimile editions, is offering a glimpse into the art of manuscript preservation.
Managing Director Paul Struzl explained that ADEVA meticulously reproduces ancient manuscripts, a process that can take up to a year for a single book.
Their showcase includes a facsimile of “The Golden Koran”, written on golden paper, and a rare collection on falconry – a nod to the region’s deep-rooted cultural heritage.
Founded in 1949, ADEVA's mission is to ensure that scholars and future generations can study ancient texts that are otherwise locked away in museum vaults.
“In an increasingly digital world, preserving physical books is more important than ever,” Struzl, whose family has been running the business for three generations, told Aletihad.
Struzl lauded the Abu Dhabi fair’s organisation, saying: “I really love coming to Abu Dhabi. It’s well-organised, it’s a beautiful fair, and the facilities are excellent. It’s more or less a tradition for us to be here since 2009.”
