Heritage Collection Open Day ongoing throughout today and tomorrow

Heritage Collection Open Day first opened yesterday with plans to run throughout today and tomorrow from 2pm to 7pm. Visitors can expect to catch a glimpse into a rare collection of old Arabic cinema which is sure to refresh the memories of the older generation while captivating the newer generation who will be amazed to see what Arabic cinema has been in the past. Along with the cinema, precious items such as historical manuscripts and books will be shown and tours will be hosted every 40 minutes.

QNL offers a glimpse into old Arabic cinema

DOHA:  A glimpse into a rare collection of old Arabic cinema is a special feature waiting for visitors at the ‘Heritage Collection Open Day’ organised by Qatar National Library (QNL), a member of Qatar Foundation.

A collection of film posters, photos and pamphlets are displayed as part of   rare historical collections at third Heritage Collection Open Day aimed at further celebrating Qatar’s cultural heritage.

The event, opened yesterday, will receive visitors today and tomorrow at QNL’s Heritage Collection Building at 71 AI Maha Street in AI Luqta, from 2pm to 7pm.

“There are very emotional moments from 60s and 70s of Arabic cinema,” said Dr Claudia Lux, Project Director of Qatar National Library.

“The older generation will have an opportunity to refresh their memories in cinema and the younger generation will be amazed to see what Arabic cinema has been in the past,” she added.

The open day also showcases precious items including historical manuscripts and books.  Themed ‘Wagten Geda (Times gone by), it will also provide visitors with the opportunity to view rare historical collections.

“Finding people who have historical collections is a challenge,” said Lux and she made an open invitation to the collectors of items related to Qatar’s history.

“Anyone who has a special collection of photos or personal records related to Qatar’s history and if they like to preserve and share it with the public, we are here to get such collections and keep,” she said.

Heritage Collection Open Day received several visitors yesterday including Dr Amal Al Malki, Director of the Translation and Interpretation Institute, Saad Al Sayed, Associate Director for Administration and Planning QNL and Aisha Al Ansari, Senior Librarian- Middle eastern Studies, QNL.

‘Open Day 2015’ will host tours every 40 minutes, taking visitors through the unique collection comprising some of the rarest and most valuable texts and manuscripts related to Arab-Islamic civilisation, including a wide range of historical texts, manuscripts, traveller’s instruments, globes and maps.

Founded in the early 1980s as part of H E Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani’s vision to create, and make accessible, a landmark repository of Qatar and regional history in the heart of Doha, the Heritage Collection is a unique contribution to Qatar’s cultural landscape.

Specifically, the Collection’s Early Arabic printing section contains some of the first Arabic books printed on presses in Shweir (Lebanon), Aleppo (Syria), Mosul (Iraq), Bulaq (Egypt) and in the Hijaz (Saudi Arabia). The Collection is home to more than 2,400 manuscripts including Our’anic manuscripts and other texts dealing with religious topics, manuscripts on the Arabic language, medicine, pharmacology, and astronomy. The Collection also holds a large number of books written in foreign languages including writings by European travellers and explorers who visited the Arabia Gulf Region and its surrounding.

The Peninsula