Luckily, last week's fire at the National Library was minor. It could have damaged a treasure trove of historic manuscripts, writes Nevine El-Aref Early last week, Egypt's most priceless documents came under threat when a small fire broke out on the top floor of Dar Al--Kuttub's (Egypt's National Library and Archives) main building on the Nile Corniche. Fortunately the flames were quickly extinguished and no damage was done. "It was really nothing at all," Dar Al-Kuttub head Ahmed Morsi told Al-Ahram Weekly. He said the fire was accidental, and that no harm had come to the library's significant collection of microfiches and manuscripts, which are mostly in Arabic, Turkish and Persian. The fire started on the roof where workmen are building a state-of-the-art laboratory for restoring and preserving the library's most treasured documents. While reinforcing the building's third floor ceiling with new tiles, and sealing older drainage pipes with welding equipment, sparks flew, setting fire to chemicals being used for the work on the roof. The fire was quickly extinguished, causing little damage to the building itself, and no harm to any of its precious store of documents. A major commotion, however, resulted from the loud burst that occurred when the sparks came into contact with the chemicals. Library employees said seven fire trucks then arrived to put out what was only a very minor blaze. Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, during a visit to the library to examine the aftermath of the fire, said the conflagration had been confined to a small area, and had resulted in nearly no damage. "That's why it did not even set off the library's LE11 million security and alarm system," Hosni said. The minister said the person responsible for allowing flammable waste to accumulate on the third floor terrace would be dealt with severely. The fire could have been disastrous, he said. Dar Al-Kuttub is one of the oldest national libraries in the Middle East. Its importance lies in its collection of 17 million rare original manuscripts, as well as the many documents preserved on microfiche. The collection is considered among the most significant in the world of Arabic, Turkish and Persian documents and manuscripts. It includes several copies of the Holy Qur'an, the early versions of which were written on parchment and paper, some in the early, plain Kufic style. Among them are copies written by celebrated calligraphers from the early days of Islam. Collections of manuscripts in fields as varied as religion, science and literature are also kept. One is a unique series of books entitled The Message, by Al-Imam Al-Shaf'ii, which tackles the principles of jurisprudence dating back to the third, fourth and fifth centuries. Another celebrated division includes rare Persian manuscripts, some of which are beautifully illuminated by historically renowned artists such as 16th century illuminator Bostan Saadi. There is also a collection of 3,000 Arabic and Greek papyri discovered at the end of the 19th century. The earliest of these manuscripts dates back to the mid-seventh century (during the time of Prophet Mohamed), and together they represent an invaluable treasure for students of Arabic calligraphy. They are also rich in information about economic life in Egypt at the time, and include deeds of purchase and sale, marriage contracts, and title deeds extending from the Umayyad to the Fatimid periods. The library also has a broad collection of documents written in English, French and Italian, which cover major historical events in Egypt, the Middle East and Africa, and their relations with Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. "The library's collections are of tremendous value, as they represent an essential part of human heritage," Morsi said.
