Traces of an Endowed 19th-Century Damascene Library

2023–2025

RFC11

Ms. 259 *(daftar kutub ḥaḍrat mawlānā)*: Second folio, composing the endowment-text and a part of the inventory. Damascus, al-Asad National Library, No. 259.

This project aims to examine the dynamics of books in late Ottoman Syria through the traces of a Damascene private-endowed library of a ṣūfī shaykh, named Khālid al-Naqshabandī (d. 1242 AH/1827 CE). In the early 19th century, al-Naqshabandī moved to Damascus and established a library with 959 manuscripts. This library presents a unique opportunity to explore the book culture, circulation, mobility, and endowment practices of that time. By using al-Naqshabandī’s biography and available materials, including the catalogue and surviving books, the project seeks to place the library within the broader context of 19th-century Damascus, considering its social and intellectual implications. With a focus on both theoretical and practical aspects, the project adopts a comprehensive approach, incorporating paracontent materials and primary legal, biographical, chronicle, and geographical sources to unravel the stories of book dynamics in late Ottoman Damascus. A crucial material for this project is manuscript No. 259, housed in the al-Asad National Library in Damascus and divided into three sections: endowment-text, an inventory of its books, and the court session. This manuscript (daftar kutub ḥaḍrat mawlānā) plays an important role in understanding the library’s social history through its inventory and endowment practices documented in the endowment-text and the court session. Additionally, the 15 yet-discovered manuscripts serve as a main source for shedding light on object biographies, mobility, and materiality concepts. By integrating these theoretical and practical elements, the project aims to achieve its main goals.

People

Project lead: Joud Nassan Agha