Al Azhar Online Project invited to present its expertise at Cambridge University Islamic Manuscript Conference

The conference, taking place in King's College Cambridge, UK, will explore various techniques related to conserving, cataloguing, accessing copyrighting and digitising rare Islamic manuscripts.

Officials of the HH Sheikh Mohammed IT Education Project (ITEP), which is managing the Al Azhar Online Project, were invited by the conference organisers to present a case study on how the Project is digitising ancient Arab manuscripts and enhancing their accessibility for the general public using advanced technology. ITEP has so far scanned over 15,000 precious manuscripts creating a massive database and made this knowledge accessible to the public on the web. HH Sheikh Mohammed IT Education Project aims to scan more than 42,000 manuscripts, making the Al Azhar project the largest of its kind in the world.

The Al Azhar Online project includes a world-class search engine that allows users to download rare manuscripts that have not been available for the public, in a matter of seconds.

"We see this event as an important forum to share knowledge and expertise on this unique project," said Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director of the Al Azhar Online Project. "We are glad to have this opportunity to present our experience to a distinguished gathering of Muslim scholars and experts," he added.

The conference will include delegates and academics from all over the Arab world as well as representatives from France, Germany, UK, US, India, Iran and other countries across the globe. Professor Ekmeleddin Ýhsan Oðlu, Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will also attend this important event.

The conference will address many of the issues surrounding the conservation of ancient Islamic manuscripts including how to keep collections intact, how to make them accessible to the public and how to acquire ongoing funding to preserve them. The Al Azhar Online project was funded entirely by H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum who donated USD 5 million to the project.

The organisers of the conference intend to leverage the expertise of its delegates to create an international association which will facilitate the digitisation of Islamic manuscripts. HH Sheikh Mohammed IT Education Project is expected to contribute valuable know-how to the new organisation.

Al Azhar Mosque, situated in Cairo, is one of the oldest and most prominent learning centres in the world. Its library contains over 42,000 ancient scripts of scientific and historical significance. The Al Azhar Online Project was launched to preserve these rare manuscripts by putting them in a digital format, facilitating greater accessibility to users around the world.