Islamic University of Madinah Digitises Over 35,000 Manuscripts

The Central Library at the Islamic University of Madinah has completed the digitisation of 34,615 microfilmed manuscripts and 916 original paper manuscripts, making its holdings in both formats available digitally.

According to the university, the repository includes works dating back to the seventh century AH and is intended to give students and researchers easier access to primary sources from Islamic intellectual and scholarly history. The digitised collection allows researchers to consult handwritten texts when preparing critical editions and examining textual variations. It also provides material for studying how manuscripts were written, copied and transmitted across different periods.

The project forms part of the university’s wider digital transformation efforts, with the library aiming to make its collections easier to search and use both on-site and remotely.