Memory of the World

Postcard holdings of the Diplomatic Archives Centre in Nantes (CADN): postcards from North Africa, mainly Tunisia. The photographs represent the capital and its surroundings (large Tunis), the northern area (except district of Tunis), the center area (subdivision of Sousse), the military territories of the south tunisian, as well as topics such as the Roman ruins, colonization, folklore, trades, personalities, etc.

UNESCO has launched the Slave Route Project in 1994. It aims to break a silence and make universally known the issue of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, its causes and dramatic results, by means of scientific work. An International Scientific Committee was set up for this project to examine the whole question of the slave trade and its impact on the prevailing economic and political situation in a number of countries as well as a means of promoting intercultural dialogue. This committee has stressed the importance of archival materials as the basis for the study of the slave trade.  The Slave Trade Archives Project was launched in 1999 with the aim of improving access to, and safeguarding of, original documents related to the transatlantic slave trade and slavery throughout the world. As part of the UNESCO Memory of the World programme and in close co-operation with the International Council on Archives (ICA), a feasibility study was carried out to identify national archives and related institutions in several African, Latin American and Caribbean countries, with a view to upgrading their facilities and services in order to ensure adequate preservation of original records, to obtain copies in appropriate formats of records and other documents pertaining to the slave trade and slavery. The first phase is limited to the Atlantic Slave Trade. This project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).  This project focuses on enhancing access to knowledge and exploitation of slave trade records. Digitization of these sources, particularly those at risk from deterioration, will help to establish a collective memory of this part of human history. A strategy of access is outlined, with a view to establishing on-line access through the UNESCO web site and other dedicated sites, and through publications of multimedia CD-ROMs on slave trade, including information on acts of resistance to slavery. At present, the project is operational in eleven countries: Benin, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana and Senegal in Africa, as well as Argentina, Brazil, Barbados, Colombia, Cuba and Haiti in Latin America and the Caribbean. This website aims to:  outline the history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; present the various archival funds and the document typology according to places where they are preserved;  provide access to a database of digital archives relating to the transatlantic slave trade.

The National Library and Archives of Egypt (Dar Al-Kutub) was the first national library in the Middle East. It was established in 1870, due to the suggestion of Refa'a Al-Tahtawi (1801-1872) to buildup a library in Egypt under the supervision of Ali Mubarak. Valuable collections of books and manuscripts were gathered from different sources. A number of geometrical instruments and maps were also included. Dar Al-Kutub was inaugurated to the public on the 24th September 1870 AD. Dar Al-Kutub was know as Al-Kutubkhana Al-Khedeweya and it started its activities at Mustafa Fadel's palace, in Darb Al-Djamamiz, Cairo. Later on, the library's holdings increased, and so did the number of its visitors. Among them were scholars, professors, cultured people and students. To accommodate this, a new building was established in Bab Al-Khalq. Its cornerstone was laid in 1899, and it was officially inaugurated in 1904. It comprised 54 thousand volumes including manuscripts and books.  During more than half a century, Dar Al-Kutub's collections increased beyond the capacity of the building in Bab Al-Khalq. A modern building was thus constructed along the Nile in Cairo, and most of the holdings, including the manuscripts, were moved there in 1971.  The manuscripts collection  The manuscripts collection in Dar Al-Kutub is indeed a national treasure, as it reflects the splendors of the Arabic and Islamic culture.  In 1870, the collection was formed by gathering manuscripts of the Holy Qur'an, and various Arabic, Persian and Turkish manuscripts from mosques, government offices, and endowment treasuries. Later on, Dar Al-Kutub received large collections from private library owners, the most important of which being Al-Khazana Al-Zakeya treasury; named in relation to Ahmad Zaki Pasha, and Al-Taymureya library; named in relation to Ahmad Taymur Pasha, the esteemed scholar and writer. Consequently, Dar Al-Kutub became the largest center for Arabic manuscripts in Egypt. The collection in Dar Al-Kutub complements manuscripts kept in the libraries of Al-Azhar, Cairo University, Alexandria, Mansoura, Tanta, Damietta, Sinai, and cities of Upper-Egypt. They all sum up to about one hundred thousant volumes, placing Egypt in a distinguished position with respect to knowledge and culture.  Within the framework of UNESCO "Memory of the World" Programme, the Regional Information Technology and Software Engineering Center (RITSEC) developed a CD-Rom entitled "Dar Al-Kutub Manuscripts, Arab Contributions to the World's Scientific Heritage."  This Cd-Rom contains an introduction about the most important sciences that Arabs have excelled in. These sciences are Mathematics, Astronomy, Medicine, Engineering, Pharmacology, Chemistry and Mechanics. It also presents a bibliography about the most distinguished Arab scientists as well as their contributions and Manuscripts.