Head of Vatican Apostolic Library and Apostolic Archive visits ANAS Manuscripts Institute

During their visit to Azerbaijan, the Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church, Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, Don Mauro Mantovani and Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive, Father Rocco Ronzani, have visited the Azerbaijan Institute of Manuscripts, AzerNEWS reports citing Azertag.

President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Academician Isa Habibbayli, informed the guests about the architectural features of the historic building, the institute's areas of scientific activity, its rich manuscript collection, rare historical documents preserved there, and ongoing research projects.

Isa Habibbayli, emphasized that the manuscripts and documents preserved at the institute are of exceptional importance for studying Azerbaijan's history and cultural heritage.

The delegation visited the institute's storage facilities, learned about the preservation conditions of manuscript documents and ancient books, and examined rare copies and historical materials.

The guests also observed the restoration and bookbinding processes at the institute's Laboratory of Manuscript Hygiene, Conservation, and Restoration.

During the visit, Academician Isa Habibbayli presented the guests with the oldest surviving copy of a manuscript of works by the great poet Nizami Ganjavi, dating back to the 14th century and preserved at the Manuscripts Institute.

In the institute's exhibition hall, members of the delegation viewed manuscript copies of the works "On Surgery and Surgical Instruments" by the great Arab scholar Abulcasis (Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi), who lived in the 10th–11th centuries in the Caliphate of Córdoba; "The Canon of Medicine" by the great Eastern thinker Avicenna (Ibn Sina); and "Zakhireyi-Nizamshahi" by the 12th-century scholar Rostam Jurjani.

They also became acquainted with the poetry album titled "Book of Flowers", featuring flower illustrations personally drawn by the Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan.