The National Library of Israel is excited to invite applications to the upcoming workshop:
“Islamic Codicology and Paleography: Between the Material and the Digital.”
The past decade has witnessed new directions in research on Islamic manuscripts.
On the one hand, scholars are applying the techniques, methodologies, and insights of biochemistry, optics, physics, and other fields to identify, date, and analyze Islamic manuscripts’ material aspects: paper, parchment, bindings, inks, and more. At the same time, the tools of digital humanities, including digitization, text recognition, and data analysis, have created new ways to study and present manuscripts at institutions around the world. Together, these methods are enabling new discoveries in the social, religious, and cultural history of Islamic civilization.
The workshop will provide an intensive introduction to the study of Islamic manuscripts with an emphasis on these methods and tools.
Intended for MA and PhD students, as well as faculty, the workshop will include both lectures by internationally renowned experts and hands-on trainings with items from theLibrary’s rich collection of more than 2,500 Arabic, Persian, and Turkish manuscripts. The workshop is one of a series of events marking one hundred years since the founding of the Library’s Islam and Middle East Collection.
The workshop will be conducted by:
Nuria de Castilia (École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris); Alba Fedeli (Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Hamburg); Shervin Faridnejad (Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Hamburg) Lina Jabali (National Library of Israel, Jerusalem); Michael Marx (University of Frankfurt); Marcela Szekely (National Library of Israel, Jerusalem); Samuel Thrope (National Library of Israel (Jerusalem)
Date:September 15-18, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM to 17:00 PM. Participants are asked to attend all the sessions of the entire four-day course.
Venue:The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem
The number of participants will be limited to 20.
The workshop will be held in English.
The workshop is free of charge, but participants are expected to cover their accommodation and travel costs. Lunch will be provided by the National Library of Israel.
Applications, including a motivation letter, CV, and a summary of your current research project (one page) should be sent to[email protected] by July 30, 2025.
Looking forward to your participation!
