Скачать или смотреть The oldest Yemeni manuscript in Leiden - Yemeni books with Kate Pukhovaia

This exquisitely designed manuscript from Yemen is one of the first of its kind to reach Europe.

Although it has been in Leiden for centuries, there are still many things we do not know about it. Nevertheless, some important steps on its journey are clear.
The text in this manuscript was written in sixteenth-century Yemen, under Ottoman rule. It was a gift to the Ottoman governor of the time, Hasan Pasha, from a local Yemeni lord. The author of this text was most likely a Yemeni educated person because he imitates the writing style of traditional Yemeni biographies.

After the text was composed, this beautiful copy was made. It is unclear whether this was done in Yemen or elsewhere. The resulting manuscript is visibly Ottoman in style — its binding, illuminated opening and calligraphy are recognizably Ottoman. There is, however, still a touch of Yemeni culture here. We can see it in the vivid, bright colours used by the scribes.

After production was complete, the manuscript travelled with the Ottoman governor. It most likely passed through Egypt and eventually reached Istanbul.

After the death of the governor, it was likely put up for auction. It is at this point that it was acquired by the famous Dutch Orientalist and diplomat Levinus Warner. Through this acquisition and Warner’s later bequest to the University, this manuscript became one of the first Yemeni manuscripts in Leiden’s Middle Eastern collection.

If you are interested in studying this manuscript or others in our collections; you are always welcome to visit our Special Collections reading room, or our Digital Collections