This is the fourth and final installment in the Etched in Stone blog series. In it, we delve into the remarkable discoveries that followed the decoding of cuneiform script. Topics include the invention of timekeeping and the 24-hour day, advancements in sailing, labor organization, written correspondence, women’s rights, religious beliefs and parables, ancient cuisine, early customer complaints, and much more.
Aldini’s Italian manual on fire safety was published in 1833. It offered detailed instructions, diagrams, and practical strategies for surviving and preventing fires. Yet two years before its publication, an Armenian version of the same manual was printed by the Mekhitarists, an Armenian Catholic monastic order, in Venice.
On May 8, experience the vibrant intercultural tapestry of Jewish and Islamic musical traditions from Spain and North Africa. From the eighth century onward, Southern Spain—known as al-Andalus—became a vibrant crossroads of faith and culture. Jews, Muslims, and Christians cultivated rich traditions in the arts, sciences, and music under the rule of Muslim caliphs.
On September 5, 2024, the African & Middle Eastern Division hosted a captivating lecture by Dr. Mohamad Hajji Mukhtar, a distinguished professor from Savannah University. The event titled “The Rise and Expansion of Islam in Somalia”, provided a journey into a lesser-known chapter of Islamic history.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has celebrated Arabic language day on December 18th since 2012. Arabic has long been recognized as a language that connects cultures, a bridge between civilizations, and a tool of knowledge. UNESCO's theme for 2024 is to make Arabic widely accessible while preserving its culture by harnessing artificial intelligence.
This blog post spotlights books, journal articles, conference papers, and lectures dedicated to Armenian manuscripts and other rare items housed in the Library’s African and Middle Eastern Division.
The cuneiform script from Ancient Mesopotamia, arguably the oldest script in human civilization. This blog discusses the various attempts to understand cuneiform and the processes which led to the ultimate decipherment of the seemingly impervious script entailed.
The blog “Afghanistan Reflected in the Collections at the Library of Congress” captures the full range of collections, print, digital and rare books produced in the local and international languages in and about Afghanistan and currently available for research at the Library of Congress.
The following is a blog that examines the Blake Robinson Recordings of Somali poetry and dance and provides an analysis of the history of poetry in Somalia and the tradition of “poetic battles”
