An important exhibition of early printed works in Arabic, Persian, Turkish,
Hebrew, Syriac, Armenian, Greek, German & French is on show at the
Staatsbibliothek in Bamberg, Germany until 12 April 2001. The 41 well-chosen
exhibits range from the first Arabic printed book (Fano, 1514) to one of the
earliest readers in the new Turkish Latin script (Istanbul, 1928). They are
carefully displayed in the magnificent baroque exhibition gallery of the old
library in the Neue Residenz, opposite Bamberg Cathedral.
Those of you who may not be able to get to Bamberg by 12 April need not
completely despair. An excellent illustrated published catalogue in English
is available:-
_The beginnings of printing in the Near and Middle East: Jews, Christians
and Muslims_. Edited by Lehrstuhl fuer Tuerkische Sprache, Geschichte und
Kultur, Universitaet Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek Bamberg.
Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, in Kommission, 2001.
102pp., incl. 41 full-page plates.
ISBN: 3-447-04417-9
Price: DM 48.-
The editor of the catalogue (and organiser of the exhibition) is Professor
Klaus Kreiser, holder of the Chair in Turkish Language, History and Culture
in the University of Bamberg. He is also the author of a preliminary essay
on "Causes of the decrease of ignorance? Remarks on the printing of books in
the Ottoman Empire". Other essays are by Ittai Joseph Tamari: "Jewish
printing and publishing activities in the Ottoman cities of Constantinople
and Saloniki at the dawn of early modern Europe"; Carsten Walbiner: "The
Christians of Bilad al-Sham (Syria), pioneers of book-printing in the Arab
world"; and Ulrich Marzolph: "Persian illustrated lithographic books".
They, and a number of other experts, have also provided the detailed
descriptions, historical remarks and (in most cases) bibliographies of the
individual exhibits. Most of these come from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,
Munich and a few other European libraries and private collections, and are of
great rarity and importance.
The full-page illustrations enhance both the utility and attractiveness of
this publication. One of them, from a Persian lithograph book exhibited,
actually depicts the various stages of the lithographic process used.
Others include title- and text-pages, often illustrated or decorated, maps and
an Ottoman children's magazine cover.
Strongly recommended.
Geoffrey Roper
Islamic Bibliography Unit
Cambridge University Library
