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Gaza's brief ceasefire brought with it the opportunity for families to be reunited, businesses to reopen and damage to be surveyed after 15 months of war. But for guardians of the enclave's heritage, it was a chance to secure and restore precious artefacts, including hundreds of manuscripts dating back to the Ottoman and Mameluke eras at the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza city.
The team from Gaza's Department of Archaeological Manuscripts at Qubbat Al Saada in the Great Omari Mosque Library began meticulously restoring and preserving the works, some of which are more than 700 years old, in the hope of saving them for future generations, despite having limited equipment.
The restoration and rescue team for manuscripts at the mosque's library received funding from an international organisation for the work, engineer Hanin Al Amsi, the director of the team, said.
Speaking to The National before Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza on March 18, Ms Al Amsi said the team had rescued 123 manuscripts from 228 that were housed in the library before the Israel-Hamas war. As for historical loose papers, of which there were 78 before the conflict, only 36 have been recovered.
"The condition of the manuscripts is extremely dire due to direct damage from bombing and destruction," Ms Al Amsi explained. "They remained buried under the rubble for more than 500 days, exposed to water damage, mould, humidity and other deteriorating factors.
“These manuscripts are deeply tied to Gaza’s history, Islamic heritage and the succession of civilisations and ruling dynasties. Some also cover historical Arab and global affairs. Before the war, the library was a destination for researchers and history enthusiasts, and we are striving to restore that status through our restoration efforts.”
Ms Al Amsi said the team faced limitations because its tools were basic. Heavy machinery cannot be used to unearth the buried manuscripts, even if it were available, as it could damage already fragile items. If they are recovered, the specialist tools needed to restore the pages are unavailable due to Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023. Tools of the kind the team need are not a priority in aid deliveries designed to feed the Palestinian territory's 2.3 million people.
"Unfortunately, everything in Gaza has been obliterated – stones, trees and historical documents," she said. "However, this project revives hope in preserving Gaza’s history, which Israel seeks to erase and steal. This history will always stand as a testament to the Arab and Palestinian identity of this land."
The Great Omari Mosque Library in Gaza was established nearly 700 years ago. It houses more than 20,000 books in various fields, in addition to its collection of manuscripts. It is the third-largest library in Palestine, spanning an area of 4,100 square metres. Before the war, the library was working on digitising the collection to ensure the content of the manuscripts would be maintained and could be studied around the world.
Among its most notable manuscripts is the Islamic law text Sharh Al-Ghawamid fi Ilm Al-Fara'id by Badr Al Din Al Mardini, which is about 500 years old.
Mustafa Al Hilu, 31, a resident of Gaza city, expressed his deep attachment to Gaza’s historical and cultural heritage.
"The Great Omari Mosque in Gaza is a landmark for everyone," he told The National. "Since childhood, we have been accustomed to visiting it, exploring its facilities and, most importantly, its vast library, which we always loved. We enjoyed reading its books and listening to the explanations provided by the library staff, especially during school trips.
"I studied Arabic language at university, which deepened my love for books and reading – not just in my field of study but across all disciplines, particularly religious and scientific knowledge. This is why I used to frequent the library, exploring its vast collection."
Mr Al Hilu maintains Israel deliberately bombed the mosque and its collection in the course of its air strikes. "The Omari Mosque is not just a place of worship; it is a fully integrated centre of knowledge," he said. "When Israel destroyed it, along with its library and manuscripts, its intention was clear – to erase its existence and history from Palestinian records.
"History is what disturbs Israel the most. It knows that everything on this land, and everything built upon it, is Palestinian and Islamic. There was never a place for them here as long as these historical and cultural landmarks stood. This is why they deliberately destroyed books, history, mosques, and attempted to annihilate everything in Gaza during their war."
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Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
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Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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