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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
Asharq Al-Awsat

Iraqi Conservators Strive to Preserve Ancient Manuscripts

In a country that bears the scars of decades of conflict and has seen antiquities plundered, the House of Manuscripts' collection has managed to survive © Sabah ARAR / AFP

In an annex of Iraq's national museum, a conservator pores over a 17th-century manuscript, carrying out delicate restoration work as part of efforts to preserve and digitize 47,000 precious texts.

"Some manuscripts date back almost 1,000 years," said Ahmed al-Alyawi, who heads the House of Manuscripts body.

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