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A Heritage Devoured by Decay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The library\u2019s trajectory took a dark turn in 2007 when provincial officials decided to relocate and shutter the collection within the storehouses of the Damanhour City Council. The move sent shockwaves through the cultural community; a sense of profound mourning took hold as this intellectual hoard was reduced to mere “inventory” in a damp warehouse. While a local clerk stood guard at the door, moisture and woodworm began to feast upon the marrow of this irreplaceable heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This era of neglect resulted in the disappearance of three rare documents, which investigators have yet to recover. For years, rescue efforts remained stalled in a bureaucratic void until Dr. Jacqueline Azar, the Governor of Beheira, intervened. Reaching out to the Ministry of Culture to initiate a salvage operation, she stood alongside Dr. Jihan Zaki, the Minister of Culture, to sign a protocol of cooperation between the governorate and the National Library and Archives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Restoring the Beheira Treasures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to Bab Masr, Governor Jacqueline Azar expressed her elation regarding the partnership aimed at reviving the Damanhour Municipal Library. The project seeks to transform the site into an integrated cultural center, restoring its hallowed role as a purveyor of knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She clarified that the initiative focuses on the preservation of these rare holdings through modern scientific cataloging, sterilization, and restoration. The goal is to ensure these maps and manuscripts are presented to future generations in a manner that reflects their true worth. Governor Azar emphasized that the Beheira Governorate would provide all necessary support, noting that the Minister of Culture\u2019s visit one of her first since taking office signals a clear national vision for cultural renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opening the Vaults to the Public<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Osama Talaat, Chairman of the National Library and Archives, explained to Bab Masr<\/em> that the library was historically situated in the northern wing of the Damanhour Opera House. Following a misguided move in the 1980s to an unsuitable location, the collection was eventually mothballed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon the Governor\u2019s request, a specialized team from the National Library was dispatched to evaluate the state of the books and the proposed sites for the library\u2019s rebirth. Following their report, the Ministry fast-tracked the protocol signed last April. Immediately following the signing, experts descended upon Damanhour to begin the delicate first phase: the in-situ sterilization of manuscripts. Given the long years of storage, many items were suffering from fungal and insect infestations. This critical decontamination was completed on April 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Talaat noted that while the sterilization concludes, the governorate is preparing the library\u2019s new home. The National Library is lending its technical expertise for the subsequent phases, which include digitizing and restoring rare periodicals and photo albums. While some pieces require the specialized labs at the National Library, much of the technical work will be conducted on-site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ambition is to leverage the National Library as a “house of expertise” to restore the institution to its zenith, ensuring it serves once again as an influential cultural axis for the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ayman Shrifa, Director of the Damanhour Complex for Culture and Arts, noted that the recent push to save the documents\u2014dormant since 2007\u2014finally broke years of institutional inertia. The momentum began in December when Governor Azar reviewed the files and demanded immediate action. The forthcoming phases include training staff in modern library management and preparing dedicated halls where researchers and the public can finally access these treasures under strict protocols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Khaled Azab, former head of Central Projects at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, emphasized that the Damanhour Municipal Library contains rare volumes printed in Egypt before 1952, many of which were personal gifts from the city\u2019s elite. He argued passionately for returning the library to its original architectural home. “Removing these books from their original halls is like tearing the soul from the body,” he remarked, describing the displacement as an erasure of the city\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The collection includes first editions of works by Al-Manfaluti and the writings of Ahmed Zaki Pasha, which once served as the intellectual bedrock for titans like Tawfiq al-Hakim, Khairy Shalaby, and Abdel-Wahab El-Messiri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Azab called for the library\u2019s management to be handed to those who truly grasp its cultural weight, urging the involvement of Damanhour\u2019s intellectuals who had been sidelined during the warehouse years. He proposed the formation of a “Friends of the Damanhour Municipal Library” association to provide ongoing support, pledging that he would be the first to contribute to its cause.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Saving the Damanhour Library\u2019s 600-year-old manuscripts and restoring Egypt\u2019s neglected cultural heritage from decay. By Mahmoud Dowair In 1928, the municipality of Damanhour in the Beheira Governorate resolved to erect a cultural bastion befitting the city\u2019s then-illustrious stature. Anchored by its strategic geography and its role as the primary artery for the cotton trade in …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":6410,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[813,4209,52,4351,4350,4349,4300],"class_list":["post-6409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lower-egypt","tag-damanhour","tag-egyptian","tag-heritage","tag-library","tag-manuscripts","tag-rare","tag-restoration"],"yoast_head":"\nA National Duty of Restoration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Reclaiming the Soul of the City<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A Call to the Intelligentsia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n