How Is the History of Bukhara’s Libraries Being Studied?

On October 15, the Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan hosted the 7th International Scientific and Practical Conference on “Islamic Civilization in Central Asia: Past and Present,” organized in cooperation with the Committee on Religious Affairs and the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA).

Professor Shovosil Ziyodov, Doctor of Historical Sciences and Director of the Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center, participated in the conference online and delivered a presentation entitled “From the History of Libraries in the Emirate of Bukhara.” His presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the library traditions that developed in this historic center of learning, the various stages in the establishment of private and public libraries, and their contribution to the region’s intellectual and cultural life.

As highlighted during the presentation, the history of libraries in Bukhara dates back to the Samanid period. In the 10th century, the royal library of the Samanid dynasty housed one of the largest manuscript collections in the region. Historical accounts of the renowned scholar Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna) and his use of this remarkable collection serve as an important source for understanding the history of libraries in the Islamic world.
Professor Ziyodov also presented new findings from his research on reconstructing the collections of historical libraries through the examination of seals, including waqf (endowment) seals, and ownership marks preserved in rare manuscripts.

The presentation emphasized that these studies offer valuable opportunities to objectively assess the extent to which the scholarly legacy of eminent thinkers and scholars originating from the historic region of Transoxiana (Mawarannahr), including Imam al-Bukhari, Imam al-Maturidi, al-Zamakhshari, al-Marghinani, and al-Sarakhsi, was studied and disseminated.

Concluding his presentation, Professor Ziyodov noted that efforts to identify and examine the historical library collections of the Emirate of Bukhara are ongoing. He also expressed the expectation that further valuable sources would be discovered in manuscript collections both in Uzbekistan and abroad, opening up new avenues for research into the region’s rich intellectual and cultural heritage.