DOHA: An exhibition, ‘Writing Cultures — Manuscripts from Georgia’ opened at Katara Cultural Village on Sunday, featuring Arabic and Georgian writing heritage safeguarded by National Centre of Manuscripts and National Library of Georgia.
It is organised by the Georgian Embassy and Qatar National Library (QNL).
It features enlarged reproductions of outstanding manuscripts dating from the 10th to the early 20th century. They bear testimony to scholarly, scientific and artistic creativity and tradition across centuries and cultures, bringing to life Georgia’s manifold relations at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The manuscripts offer a longitudinal view of Arabic and Georgian works in various branches of knowledge. They range from 10th century Quran fragments, theological commentaries and medieval illuminated gospel manuscripts to juridical treatises in Arabic and legal deeds issued by Georgian kings.
The works encompass 19th and 20th century Caucasian historiography written in Arabic, at the time a lingua franca among the learned in the Northern Caucasus. Literature and poetry writings are on display, including the important epic Knight in the Panther’s Skin by Georgia’s 12th century poet Shota Rustaveli.
In medicine, Avicenna’s Canon of Medicine, widely in use in Europe until the 16th century, is shown along the Book of Healing by Zaza Panaskerteli, a Georgian 15th century scholar whose work relates to Georgia’s Greco-Roman heritage.
Ahead of the opening of the exhibition, Georgia Ambassador Ekaterine Meiering-Mikadze said: “I am delighted seeing cultural exchange between Georgia and Qatar developing steadily. Together with our partners, we invite visitors to come, discover the heritage, draw comparisons and see how intertwined cultures were when geography mattered more and people and ideas still travelled overland.”
The Peninsula
