In a strategic cultural move reflecting Saudi Arabia's deep commitment to preserving human heritage, the King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh announced a monumental achievement: the documentation and digitization of over 47,000 rare heritage items. This ambitious project will bolster the cultural identity of the Kingdom and the Arab and Islamic worlds, and will serve as a vital resource for researchers and historians, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 , which prioritizes the preservation of national and Islamic heritage.
Guarding history: an extended civilizational context
This achievement is not merely a traditional archiving process; it is part of the Kingdom's pioneering role as the birthplace of revelation and custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, placing a great responsibility on its cultural institutions to protect historical memory from oblivion. Since its establishment, the King Abdulaziz Library has worked to be a bridge of knowledge linking the past with the present, providing a comprehensive research environment that allows access to treasures of knowledge that have remained locked away for centuries.
Knowledge treasures in numbers
The documented holdings include an astonishing collection of primary sources, with the library housing 8,571 heritage books and over 8,000 original manuscripts representing various Islamic arts and sciences. In addition, it boasts a vast collection of 32,000 , making it one of the most important reference centers in the Middle East. The efforts extend beyond texts to include geographical documentation through 700 historical maps of the Arabian Peninsula, the oldest dating back to 1482 CE, some written in ancient Latin, providing tangible evidence of the region's geopolitical importance throughout the ages.
Visual evidence and rare coins
In the realm of visual and material documentation, the library uniquely acquired a rare collection of 7,600 , ranging from gold and silver to bronze, spanning various Islamic periods. This collection is invaluable to researchers studying the economic and political history of those eras. The photographic archive also features 365 original, unpublished photographs of the Two Holy Mosques, taken by the renowned photographer Ahmed Pasha Helmy, documenting the sacred sites before the modern expansions. Additionally, 360 rare photographs of Jerusalem are included in the book "Al-Aqsa."
Supporting Arab and Islamic causes
The library did not neglect its national role, dedicating significant space to supporting the Palestinian cause by providing thousands of books analyzing the history and geography of Jerusalem. Its focus also extended to Andalusian heritage through the book "Andalusian Sources," which includes 84 references, and rare paintings by David Roberts from 1832. Locally, the library documented the history of camels, horses, and pilgrimage routes, translating the works of travelers and orientalists who traversed the Arabian Peninsula since the era of the First Saudi State, thus providing an invaluable service to national and human memory.
