Memory of the World Register – Arab States

The sarcophagus of Ahiram in Lebanon contains the oldest known inscription of the Phoenician alphabet, the precursor to all alphabets in the world.

UNESCO's Memory of the World International Register lists documentary heritage – texts, audio-visual materials, library and archive holdings[1] – that have been judged to be of global importance. The register brings that heritage to the attention of experts and the wider public, promoting the preservation, digitization, and dissemination of those materials.[2]

The first inscriptions were added to the register in 1997.[3][4] As of 2023, 496 pieces of documentary heritage had been included in the register.[5] Of these, seventeen were nominated by countries from the region of the Arab States. They include religious and secular manuscripts, texts carved on stone, maps, and historical archives.

  • Rock inscriptions at Jabal Ikmah, Saudi Arabia
    Rock inscriptions at Jabal Ikmah, Saudi Arabia
  • Frontispiece from a Mamluk Quran manuscript, Egyptian National Library
    Frontispiece from a Mamluk Quran manuscript, Egyptian National Library
  • Commemorative stela of Nahr el-Kalb, Lebanon
    Commemorative stela of Nahr el-Kalb, Lebanon
  • The Beggar at the Mosque from the Persian Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscripts of the Egyptian National Library
    The Beggar at the Mosque from the Persian Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscripts of the Egyptian National Library

List by country/territory

Documentary heritage[A] Country/Territory Custodian(s), Location(s) Year
inscribed 		Reference
Al-Mustamlah Min Kitab Al-Takmila Algeria National Library of Algeria, Algiers

36°44′55″N 3°04′19″E / 36.748481°N 3.071902°E / 36.748481; 3.071902 (National Library of Algeria)

2017 [6]
First Summit Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Archives Algeria,
Egypt,
India,
Indonesia,
Serbia 		2023 [7]
Memory of the Suez Canal Egypt Egyptian Embassy, Paris

48°52′04″N 2°17′46″E / 48.867809°N 2.296108°E / 48.867809; 2.296108 (Egyptian Embassy, Paris)

1997 [8]
National Library of Egypt's Collection of Mamluk Qur'an Manuscripts Egypt National Archives of Egypt, Cairo

30°04′02″N 31°13′38″E / 30.067110°N 31.227230°E / 30.067110; 31.227230 (Egyptian National Library and Archives)

2013 [9]
Deeds of Sultans and Princes Egypt National Archives of Egypt, Cairo

30°04′02″N 31°13′38″E / 30.067110°N 31.227230°E / 30.067110; 31.227230 (Egyptian National Library and Archives)

2005 [10]
Persian Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscripts Egypt National Library and Archives of Egypt, Cairo

30°04′02″N 31°13′38″E / 30.067110°N 31.227230°E / 30.067110; 31.227230 (Egyptian National Library and Archives)

2007 [11]
The Phoenician Alphabet Lebanon National Museum, Beirut

33°52′42″N 35°30′54″E / 33.878416°N 35.515096°E / 33.878416; 35.515096 (National Museum, Beirut)

2005 [12]
Commemorative stela of Nahr el-Kalb, Mount Lebanon Lebanon Municipality of Zouk Mosbeh; Municipality of Dbayeh

33°58′15″N 35°43′37″E / 33.970741°N 35.726857°E / 33.970741; 35.726857 (Commemorative stela of Nahr el-Kalb, Mount Lebanon)

2005 [13]
Kitab al-ibar, wa diwan al-mobtadae wa al-khabar Morocco Bibliothèque al-Quaraouiyyine, Fez

34°03′51″N 4°58′22″W / 34.064143°N 4.972771°W / 34.064143; -4.972771 (Bibliothèque al-Quaraouiyyine)

2011 [14]
Manuscript of al- Zahrāwīsur Morocco Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc, Rabat

34°00′30″N 6°50′34″W / 34.008402°N 6.842639°W / 34.008402; -6.842639 (Bibliothèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc)

2017 [15]
Maden Al Asrar Fi Elm Al Behar Manuscript Oman Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Muscat

23°35′55″N 58°25′24″E / 23.598696°N 58.423289°E / 23.598696; 58.423289 (Ministry of Heritage and Culture)

2017 [16]
Earliest Islamic (Kufic) Inscription Saudi Arabia near Al-'Ula and Al Hijr archeological site NW Saudi Arabia

26°48′14″N 37°57′18″E / 26.8040166°N 37.9550816°E / 26.8040166; 37.9550816 (Al Hijr Archaeological Site)

2003 [17]
Arabian Chronicles in Stone: Jabal Ikmah Saudi Arabia Al-'Ula archeological site, NW Saudi Arabia

26°36′31″N 37°55′25″E / 26.608611°N 37.923611°E / 26.608611; 37.923611 (Al-'Ula Archaeological Site)

2023 [18]
Privateering and the international relations of the Regency of Tunis in the 18th and 19th centuries Tunisia National Archives of Tunisia, Tunis

36°47′58″N 10°09′53″E / 36.799444°N 10.164791°E / 36.799444; 10.164791 (National Archives of Tunisia)

2011 [19]
The Abolition of Slavery in Tunisia 1841-1846 Tunisia National Archives of Tunisia, Tunis

36°47′58″N 10°09′53″E / 36.799444°N 10.164791°E / 36.799444; 10.164791 (National Archives of Tunisia)

2017 [20]
The Music holdings in Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger's archives (1910-1932) Tunisia Centre of Arab and Mediterranean Music, Sidi Bou Saïd

36°52′01″N 10°20′44″E / 36.866831°N 10.345667°E / 36.866831; 10.345667 (Centre of Arab and Mediterranean Music)

2023 [21]

Notes

^ Names and spellings provided are based on the official list released by the Memory of the World Programme.

References

  1. ^ Diop, Papa Momar; Jordan, Lothar (2022). "The UNESCO Memory of the World Program as a Possible Catalyst for Fostering Peace and Peace Studies in Africa". Peace Studies for Sustainable Development in Africa. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. pp. 763–773. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-92474-4_56. ISBN 978-3-030-92473-7.
  2. ^ "64 new inscriptions on UNESCO's Memory of the World Registers". UNESCO Press. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  3. ^ Edmondson, Ray (2020). "Memory of the World: An Introduction". In Edmondson, Ray; Jordan, Lothar; Prodan, Anca Claudia (eds.). The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme: Key Aspects and Recent Developments. Cham: Springer. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-3-030-18441-4.
  4. ^ "Launch of the International Memory of the World Register 2022-2023 Cycle". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  5. ^ "Documentary heritage: 74 new entries on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. 17 April 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-05-28. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  6. ^ "Al – Mustamlah Min Kitab Al – Takmila". UNESCO Memory of the World. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  7. ^ "First Summit Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Archives". UNESCO Memory of the World. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  8. ^ "Memory of the Suez Canal". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  9. ^ "The National Library of Egypt's Collection of Mamluk Qur'an Manuscripts". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  10. ^ "Deeds of Sultans and Princes". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  11. ^ "Persian Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscripts". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  12. ^ "The Phoenician Alphabet". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  13. ^ "Commemorative stela of Nahr el-Kalb, Mount Lebanon". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  14. ^ "Kitab al-ibar, wa diwan al-mobtadae wa al-khabar". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  15. ^ "Manuscript of al- Zahrāwīsu". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  16. ^ "Maden Al Asrar Fi Elm Al Behar Manuscript". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  17. ^ "Earliest Islamic (Kufic) inscription". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  18. ^ "Arabian Chronicles in Stone: Jabal Ikmah". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  19. ^ "Privateering and the international relations of the Regency of Tunis in the 18th and 19th centuries". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  20. ^ "The Abolition of Slavery in Tunisia 1841-1846". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  21. ^ "The Music holdings in Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger's archives (1910-1932)". UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
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