Memory of the World Register - Nomination Form Slovakia - Bašagic Collection of Islamic Manuscripts from the holdings of the University Library in Bratislava Abstract The Bašagic collection of Islamic manuscripts from the holdings of the University Library in Bratislava contains unique sources of world Islamic culture and through its significance as an outstanding and comprehensive documentation of Bosnia's written literature in 16th-19th centuries and a unique evidence of literary (prose, poetry) and scientific (Islamic theology, law, history, philosophy, Korans sciences, traditions, Islamic mysticism) activities of Bosnian Muslim scholars writing in Arabic, Turkish and Persian languages reaches world-wide importance. The collection is showing the history of Bosnia, Turkish state administration and religious situation in Bosnia in 16th-19th centuries. After the fire of National Library in Sarajevo it has become also the solitary and rare collection of documents of Bosnian Muslim literature. The collection contains 284 volumes of manuscripts including 589 individual works: 393 Arabic, 117 Turkish and 88 Persian. Identity and Location Name of the Documentary Heritage: Bašagic's Collection of Islamic Manuscripts (later only Bašagic's Collection) Country: Slovak Republic State, Province or Region: Slovak Republic Address: Michalská 1, 814 17 Bratislava Name of Institution: Univerzitná knižovnica/The University Library Legal Information Owner: l The state - Slovak Republic Custodian: The University Library Michalská 1 814 17 Bratislava Tel: +421.7.533.32.47; +421.7.533.49.58 Fax: +421.7.533.42.46; +421.7.533.49.58 Mr Jozef M. Rydlo, Tel: +421.7.5333.11.51/ext.261 Mrs Anna Polievková, Tel/Fax: +421.7.533.49.58 Legal Status: Category of ownership: State Details of legal and administrative provisions for the preservation of the documentary heritage: Provisions for the preservation of the documentary heritage are guaranteed in the University Library by the Library Act no. 53/1959, supplemented by regulations of the Ministry of Culture of Slovak Republic no.2783/73, registered in Acts no.29/1977 and 25/1983.

Accessibility: As arising out of the Statutes of the University Library and above mentioned Acts the documentary heritage is like the whole stock of the library available to the public. For the reasons of protection and security special documents of great value are available only for study in the study room. Copyright status: The University Library, Bratislava and authors Responsible administration: a/ The proper management of the documentary heritage. The University Library, Bratislava. Identification Description: Within the holdings of the University Library the comprehensive and unique collection of works of Bosnian scholars (15th-19th centuries) and scientific works of Islamic cultural heritage is contained. There is a great number of hitherto unknown works written by Bosnian scholars in it. Apart from those the collection contains several very valuable manuscripts of Islamic cultural heritage. Bibliographic details: The whole of the archives is professionally processed and restored. There are two catalogues available: BAŠAGIC, Safvet beg: Popis orijentalnih rukopisa moje biblioteke. In: Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja u Bosni i Hercegovini, 28, 1916, 207-290. (Separatni otisak iz GZM. Sarajevo, Zemaljska štamparija 1917.) BLAŠKOVIÈ, Jozef - PETRÁÈEK, Karel - VESELÝ, Rudolf: Arabische, turkische und persische Handschriften der Universitätsbibliothek in Bratislava. Bratislava, Univerzitná knižovnica, Vydavate¾stvo Slovenskej akadémie vied 1961. 551 pp, XII tab. History: The base of the Safvet beg Bašagic's library (approximately one third) was the family book collection established by his father. The rest of it he himself had been searching for and purchasing throughout the whole former Ottoman Empire in the course of 30 years. In 1924 he sold his collection of manuscripts and printed books to the University Library in Bratislava. Dr. Safvet beg Bašagic was the most significant connoiseur of Bosnian Muslim culture and literature in 19th and 20th centuries. He wrote several books and papers on these topics, which stayed unequalled up to this time and became an important resource for scholars studying Bosnian culture in later period (M. Šabanovic, Jan Rypka, Jozef Blaškoviè, Karel Petráèek, etc.) Dr. Safvet beg Bašagic (1870-1934) graduated as doctor "ex linguis islamicis" from the University of Vienna, where he had studied at Joseph von Karabacek, the world foremost specialist in Arabic paleography of his time. Afterwards Bašagic was appointed as a Professor of Islamics at the University of Zagreb and since 1919 to 1927 he had been working as a director of the "Regional Museum" in Sarajevo. He himself had professionally processed his collection (see 3.2.) and utilized in his synthetic works on Bosnian Muslim culture (see 3.5.)

Bibliography: BAŠAGIC, Safvet beg: Popis orijentalnih rukopisa moje biblioteke. In: Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja u Bosni i Hercegovini, 28, 1916, 207290. (Separatni otisak iz GZM. Sarajevo, Zemaljska štamparija 1917.) BLAŠKOVIÈ, Jozef - PETRÁÈEK, Karel - VESELÝ, Rudolf: Arabische, turkische und persische Handschriften der Universitätsbibliothek in Bratislava. Bratislava, Univerzitná knižovnica, Vydavate¾stvo Slovenskej akadémie vied 1961. 551 pp, XXII tab. Names, qualifications and contact details of independent people or organizations with expert knowledge about the values and provenance of the documentary heritage: - PAULÍNY, Ján, PhD, Assoc. Professor of Arabic Literature and Islam, Dept. of Arabic Studies, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Gondova 2, 818 01 Bratislava. Tel: +421.7.323.617, Fax: +421.7.366.016, E-mail: [email protected] - Prof. Dr. KOPÈAN, Vojtech, CSc., Institute of Oriental Studies, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Klemensova 19, 811 01 Bratislava. Tel: +421.7.326.321. Management Plan Bašagic's collection apart from the fact that it contains unique sources for world Islamic culture, after the fire of National Library in Sarajevo, has become also the solitary and rare collection of documents of Bosnian Muslim literature. Concept and procedures in developing projects within "Memory of the World" programme are based on methodical materials of UNESCO and with regard to the experience of the National Library in Prague, with which we cooperate. We have been consulting also representatives of Albertina ICOM Company Prague. The University Library is considering the possibility of setting up its own centre for digitization of rare documents. Costs assessment - 3.5 mil. Sk (cca USD 110.000,-). The University Library is a state budgetary institution. The budget covers all costs for main activities of the library. All of the Islamic manuscripts have been restored. Unfortunately, the budget is not sufficient for special safeguarding and digitization of the documents. The manuscripts are kept in a special department of the University Library which is called Cabinet of old and rare printed books and manuscripts. Storing rooms are equipped with metal shelves and permanent temperature (17-19 C) and humidity of air (50-60%) are being maintained. The documents are prevented from the direct influence of light, windows of the rooms are covered with protective foils. Fire and security signalization is installed in the premises. The Cabinet is separated from the other storage rooms of the library by a metal shutter - fire-curtain. Manuscripts are handled with special care and only when inevitable. Their reproduction is limited, some reproduction technologies

completely excluded. Manuscripts are available for study only in the premises of the Cabinet and in the presence of its staff. A preservation plan of a specific stock of old, rare manuscripts and printed books is included in the complex preservation management plan of the University Library. Bašagic's collection is a part of that stock. Preservation plan accepts and reflects strict demands for preservation of old manuscripts and printed books and so the library has been purchasing and modernizing its means of preservation by stages (depending on financial possibilities). Assessment against the Selection Criteria Assessment of the documentary heritage against each criterion: Bašagic's collection of manuscripts through its significance as a outstanding and comprehensive documentation of Bosnia's written literature in 16th-19th centuries reaches world-wide importance. The collection is showing the history of Bosnia, Turkish State administration and religious situation in Bosnia in 16th-19th centuries. Apart from that, it is a unique evidence of literary (prose, poetry) and scientific (Islamic theology, law, history, philosophy, Korans sciences, traditions, Islamic mysticism) activities of Bosnian scholars. As a part of the Islamic cultural heritage the collection complies with the criteria of time, place, subject and social value. Contextual assessment including an assessment of the importance of a series of documents, the importance of a series of documents in a particular setting, and the assessment against other documentary heritage: The collection enriches the Islamic and world cultural heritage with written literature of Bosnian Muslim scholars, writing in Arabic, Turkish and Persian languages. It is the most comprehensive literary monument of Bosnian cultural history. Evaluation of the authenticity: The collection contains autographs and unique pieces written mainly by Bosnian scholars. Besides those several rarity works by other Islamic authors, e.g. Logics (Kitáb almantiq), a unique complete manuscript by Al-Farabi or thus far the biggest famous manuscript collection of Four-lined verses by Omar Chajjám and other precious works. Assessment of rarity: After the war in former Yugoslavia, as a result of which many important monuments of Bosnian culture and literature have been damaged (National Library in Sarajevo burnt out and some other libraries were damaged too) the collection represents a unique documentary heritage of priceless value. No other as for subject integral collection of similar importance has been saved in the world.

The aim of the pilot project for the "Memory of the World" Register is the preservation and safeguarding of the most important works of this collection as well as making them available to the widest public. Consultation Thorough consultancies were held with a), b) the owner and the custodian of the collection c) the Slovak Committee for Memory of the World Programme Nominator Name: The University Library Bratislava in cooperation with the Slovak Committee for "Memory of the World" Programme Relationship to the documentary heritage: Owner - Custodian Contactperson: See art. 2.2 Contact details: See art. 2.2 Assessment of Risk - Environmental and physical conditions are reasonable. - Budget determined for the physical preservation of selected documentary heritage is a part of the total budget of the University Library and is fully covered by state. - Manuscripts from the Bašagic's collection represent a part of the stock of the Cabinet of old and rare printed books and manuscripts of the University Library. Mostly they are used for study, scientific research and exhibition purposes. - By their content they represent a valuable information resource for scholars interested in history and culture of Bosnia, history, culture and science of Arabic, Persian and Turkish countries. Preservation Assessment - Present physical state: Good - History of preservation: University Library purchased the collection of manuscripts in 1924. First the manuscripts had been professionally processed (see 3.2.). In the course of the sixties all books from Bašagic's collection were restored and located in specially protected rooms of the University Library - the Cabinet of old and rare printed books and manuscripts. - Current preservation policy in relation to proposed nominated documentary heritage: is guaranteed by the Library Act and State Care of Monuments Act no. 27/1987. - Organization responsible for preservation: University Library, Michalská 1, 814 17 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.