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Libraries in Iraq

Libraries in Baghdad

Library of the Iraqi Museum
one of the finest collections on history and archaeology of the Middle East – most evacuated before the war started – completely protected.

Islamic Manuscripts Collection of the Iraqi Museum
about 4,000 volumes - likewise evacuated before the war to a bunker away from the main museum building – all safe.

National Library of Iraq
about 500K printed books and serials (including 5K rare books) – looted and burnt (suffered from its location opposite the Iraqi Ministry of Defense building).

National Archives of Iraq (which shared the same building as the National Library) containing documents from the Ottoman period onwards - size of contents unknown (no published catalogue traced) – likewise looted and burnt, but again some material at least (e.g. Ottoman cadastral registers) reported to have been evacuated beforehand and to be safe.

Al-Awqaf Library (Ministry of Religious Affairs)
situated very close to the National Library - over 5,000 Islamic manuscripts (Arabic, Persian, etc.) – likewise looted and burnt.

Saddam Manuscripts House
about 38,000 volumes – evacuated before the war – contents safe – plus the records of a further 50,000 manuscripts in other collections throughout Iraq.

Central Library of the University of Baghdad (on 2 sites)
about 600K printed books, serials, maps, etc. - both sites burnt.

Al-Mustansiriya University Library
about 200K printed books and serials, etc. - nothing known.

Qadiriya Library
over 1,500 manuscripts – apparently undamaged.

Educational Documentation Library
about 40K printed books and serials - nothing known.

Scientific Documentation Centre Library
no information.

Library of the Iraqi Academy of Sciences
nothing known – Arabic and Western-language printed books and serials - most of its 800 Islamic manuscript apparently transferred to the Saddam Manuscripts House.

Library of Bayt al-Hikma centre
for research in the social sciences, law, economics and strategic studies very active in the 1980s – situated in the same area as the National Library – believed to be completely destroyed.

Libraries outside Baghdad Very little information yet available

Mosul

Central Library of the University of Mosul
about 900K printed books, serials, etc. – looted and burnt.

Library of the Mosul Museum
since the Museum was bombed and looted, its library presumably also damaged.

Other libraries in Mosul
3 libraries containing 6,500 Islamic manuscripts, most important of which the Al-Awqaf Library with 5.700 manuscripts – nothing known.

Basra

Central Library of the University of Basra
containing 1,400 manuscripts, 200K printed books, serials, etc. -nothing yet known.

Library of the Centre for Arab Gulf Studies
nothing known.

Archives of the Court of Justice
contain the Ottoman period documents on the Basra region - nothing known.

Other libraries in Basra
only one other small manuscripts collection (Abassi Library – 600 volumes) nothing known.

Other Cities

Libraries in Karbala and Najaf
(the two towns holy to the Shias) – 3 collections in each - containing together over 12,000 manuscripts – probably did not suffer damage during the recent war – but they are believed to have been heavily pillaged, if not totally destroyed, during the 1991 suppression of the Shia revolt against Saddam Hussain.

Libraries in Sulaymania
2 collections containing 4,400 (of which 3,700 in the Al-Awqaf Library) – nothing known.

General conclusion re libraries and archives in Iraq

The overall picture is still far from clear - particularly for libraries and archives outside Baghdad, but there are encouraging reports that many institutions took steps to evacuate at least parts of their collection to safer storage elsewhere

Most serious 'irreplaceable' loss = National Archives - probably some documents from the Ottoman period will be duplicated in archives in Turkey - some documents from the British period will also be found in BL (India Office Records) - but by no means all

Equally serious = national library + university libraries - the two largest of the four principal university libraries have apparently been destroyed (universities of Baghdad and Mosul) - in the worst case scenario, 2 million printed books and serials out of a total combined stock of 2.5 million could have been destroyed - despite some material now known to have been evacuated, the extent of the loss may still be very considerable, representing a devastating blow to teaching and research

Islamic manuscripts collections - only one important collection destroyed (5,000 volumes in the Al-Awqaf Library in Baghdad). This part of Iraq's unique cultural heritage - of world importance - appears to have emerged remarkably unscathed.

It is apparent that Iraqi MSS collections and libraries have several needs which should be addressed as soon as possible. Such needs include
- restoration of physical premises
- replacement of plundered equipment
- reconstitution of respective collections
- comprehensive inventory and cataloguing of all MSS collections as they stand today
- replacement of published works and non-original document copies lost in the looting
- comprehensive microfilming and data storage of all MSS, to guard against future losses
- immediate and ongoing collection of contemporary Iraqi publications (incl. 55+ newspapers)

Manuscripts

DAR AL-MAKHTUTAT AL-'IRAQIYYA
/ Iraqi House of Manuscripts [formerly Dar Saddam lil-Makhtutat / Saddam House of Manuscripts]

MAKTABAT AL-AWQAF AL-MARKAZIYYA
/ Ministry of Endowments & Religious Affairs Central Library

NATIONAL LIBRARY & ARCHIVES
/ Dar al-Kutub wa al-Watha'iq
This facility, located right across from the Ministry of Defense, was completely burned and looted.

BAYT AL-HIKMA / House of Wisdom
This facility, a semi-private center supporting research in the arts and humanities, was completely burned and looted. It is located right next to the Ministry of Defense, on the site of a 13th century madrasa complex and the first Iraqi parliament. This facility housed a lecture auditorium, music hall, printing press, computer lab, Western publications library, and a library of Middle Eastern publications.

IRAQI ACADEMY OF SCIENCES / al-Majma' al-`Ilmi al-`Iraqi
The Iraqi Academy of Sciences, located in Waziriyya, is a fully independent research facility dating back to the monarchic period. Considered an “Iraqi Academic Françoise,” the Academy held collections of MSS, periodicals, foreign language books, and unpublished theses. It also boasted an internet computer lab with 20+ terminals, printing press, lecture rooms, and offices for affiliated researchers.
According to staff members, the pillage started after a US tank crew crashed through the facility's front gate, rolled over and crushed the facility's main sign, removed the Iraqi flag flying at the entrance, and left. Following that cue, looters swarmed over the facility and stripped it of all computers, air conditioners, electrical fixtures, furniture, and vehicles.

QADIRIYYA MOSQUE COLLECTION, Baghdad
This collection reportedly has 1883 MSS, in addition to published works. All sources state that the collection was not harmed in any way.

DEIR AL-ABA AL-KRIMLIYIN Collection, Baghdad
This collection had ca. 120 MSS, mostly consisting of the personal writings of al-Ustadh Mari al-Krimli. This collection should be included in a published catalogue of Iraqi Christian MSS completed by Dr. Boutros Haddad in 1997.

MAKTABAT AL-HIDAYA, Baghdad (?)
This collection had ca. 500 MSS, and its condition is unknown.

UNIVERSITY OF BAGHDAD CENTRAL LIBRARY / al-Maktaba al-Markaziyya
This facility is a centralized collection of published works intended for university researchers. According to Dr. Naji of Bayt al-Hikma, this facility was neither looted nor burned.

MUSTANSIRIYYA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL LIBRARY
This library, containing medical textbooks and research publications, was not looted [source Dr. Walid al-Hashimi, Mustansiriyya University].

MUSTANSIRIYYA UNIVERSITY MAIN LIBRARY
This library, containing medical textbooks and research publications, was looted.

BAGHDAD MEDICAL COLLEGE LIBRARY
This library, containing medical textbooks and research publications, was looted.

DEIR MAR BEHNAM COLLECTION, Mosul
This collection had an unknown number of Christian MSS, and was reportedly moved to a church in the al-Dura neighborhood of Baghdad prior to the war, under the protection of Dr. Yusuf Habbi.

MAKTABAT KARAKOSH COLLECTION, Mosul
This collection had an unknown number of MSS, and its condition is unknown.

DEIR MAR MATTI COLLECTION, Mosul
This collection had an unknown number of Christian MSS, and was reportedly moved to a church in the al-Dura neighborhood of Baghdad prior to the war, under the protection of Dr. Yusuf Habbi.

MADRASAT AL-JALILI COLLECTION, Mosul
This collection had ca. 400 MSS, including a unique copy of an al-Maqrizi history text. It is reportedly OK.

DR. MAHMUD AL-JALILI COLLECTION, Mosul
ca. 60 MSS, reportedly OK.

MAKTABAT AL-MUFTI, Arbil
ca. 120 MSS, reportedly OK.

SALAH AL-DIN UNIVERSITY, Arbil
This collection had 402 MSS, which are said to be OK and catalogued in a published catalogue.

MAKTABAT AL-AWQAF, Sulaymaniya
ca. 6000 MSS, reportedly OK.

MAKTABAT AL-SHAYKH MUHAMMAD AL-KHAL, Sulaymaniya
ca. 350 MSS -- including several rare MSS, reportedly OK.

DAR AL-MAKHTUTAT IN MOSQUE OF HUSSEIN, Karbala
ca. 1200 MSS, reportedly OK

MAKTABAT AMIR AL-MU'MININ, Najaf
ca. 3000 MSS, reportedly OK

MAKTABAT AL-HAKIM, Najaf
ca. 1600 MSS, reportedly OK

MAKTABAT KASHIF AL-GHITA, Najaf
ca. 3000 MSS, reportedly OK

MAKTABAT AL-JAMAL AL-DIN, Suq al-Shuyukh, Nasiriyya
ca. 180 MSS, unknown condition.

[Unknown Name] CLERIC's PRIVATE COLLECTION, Diwaniyya
ca. 300 MSS, unknown condition.

BASH A'YAN AL-'ABBASIYYA Collection, Basra
ca. 1200 MSS, unknown condition. Mr. Naqshbandi believes that the collection should have been adequately protected by the leading families of Basra, and should thus be OK.

IRAQ MSS COLLECTIONS & LIBRARIES, 2003