Rescuing the Books of al-Jazzar
The al-Jazzar Mosque of Akka still houses parts of a significant collection now spread around the globe. But the local holdings are at risk. Funded by the ALIPH Foundation, the CSMC carried out a project to create the conditions for the long-term preservation of the collection.
The al-Jazzar library is located in a mosque in the northern Israeli port city of Akka, which played an important economic and administrative role in the Ottoman Empire due to its strategically favourable location. Established by the Ottoman governor Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar (d. 1804), it was one of the largest libraries in Greater Syria and one of the most significant mosque libraries in Palestine. After al-Jazzar’s death, the collection of some 1,800 manuscripts dispersed in all directions; parts of the collection are now in libraries around the world, including Princeton, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. At CSMC, an affiliated research project is dedicated to the history and importance of the collection.
Today, only a small part of the library is still in the al-Jazzar Mosque itself. This remaining part of the library is in a critical condition. There are no adequate storage conditions for the early prints and handwritten archival materials on site; moreover, there is a lack of professionals who can ensure proper treatment of the documents. At present, these documents are in such a fragile state that doing research on them is not an option.
From 2023–2024, the CSMC carried out a project in the library, which was funded by the ALIPH Foundation. First and foremost, we stabilised the collection through effective immediate measures, such as dry cleaning and deacidification and setting up a suitable storage room. These activities fell under the remit of two trainees who were working in Akka on behalf of the CSMC.
The programme included instructions in basic conservation measures. These courses were led by Maria Luisa Russo, who works for the CSMC as a field manager and has extensive experience in the field of cultural heritage conservation. In addition to the two trainees, other members of the al-Jazzar mosque also took part in the workshop. In the future, their work will help to create the conditions to ensure that the documents in the library of al-Jazzar will be preserved, and accessible to research.
Photo: CSMC
The historical print library. Many books were covered with a plastic film: it had been introduced with the aim of protecting them, but had created humidity issues on the collections.
Photo: CSMC
The archive included documents of the administration of the waqf; their physical preservation was threatened.
Photo: CSMC
Surface cleaning of books. It was performed with soft brushes, smoke sponges, and providing a support to the books in order to avoid damaging their binding structure.
Photo: CSMC
Collections had to undergo different stages and procedures: plastic removal, quarantine, anoxic treatment against insects, surface cleaning, rehousing. These stages took place in different rooms and the books were moved with a cart.
Photo: CSMC
The quarantine room. A number of books needed to be exposed to a controlled environment at low humidity (40-45%). Books have been arranged onto shelves in a way to ensure air circulation not only among the books but also among the pages.
Photo: CSMC
Anoxic treatment against insect pests requires the creation of bubbles at very low oxygen content, where books are kept for several weeks.
Photo: CSMC
At the end of activities mould tests were performed on a range of books, so as to ensure no active moulds were still present on items.
Photo: CSMC
Mould tests labelling allows to track on which book the test was performed.
Photo: CSMC
At the end of activities mould tests were performed on a range of books, so as to ensure no active moulds were still present on items.
Photo: CSMC
Removal of adhesive tape from books.
Photo: CSMC
The archive included documents of the administration of the waqf; their physical preservation was threatened.
Photo: CSMC
The team. Left to right: Ibraheem Abu Asla, MLR, Sirri Idilbi, Muhammad…, Samah Hijab, Suha Ibraheem Qandil.
Photo: CSMC
Surface cleaning of documents with soft brushes.