Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, granted the House of Wisdom (HoW) a huge collection of 646 volumes in French covering a wide array of disciplines ranging from history, geography, arts, literature and philosophy, among others. This came as a new bounty by His Highness to enrich the Arab and Islamic collections housed by Sharjah’s iconic cultural and heritage destination.

Featuring titles dating back to late 19th Century, the new collection will enrich HoW’s extensive repository of knowledge and culture, thus making its already-wide collection even more diverse and comprehensive. Visitors and members interested in exploring the Middle Eastern history and culture will also have a better opportunity to access rare information and gain insight on various topics from a wide range of resources.

Among the rare titles in the new collection is ‘Constantinople et l’Égypte,’ by Cesare Vimercati. Published in 1858, this book provides a comprehensive study that explores the complex political and economic relationship between two versatile destinations — modern-day Istanbul and Egypt — and offers a detailed look at the shared history and several factors that shaped the relationship between the two sides.

Another exciting title is ‘Documents sur l’histoire la géographie et le commerce de l’afrique orientale,’ by Charles Guillain. Published in 1856, this book provides a wealth of information on the geography, history and trade movement of Eastern Africa, offering valuable insights into the region’s rich cultural heritage.

‘La Décade Égyptienne,’ published in 1900, features a rare collection of articles and essays published in one of the oldest foreign newspapers in Egypt that dates back to 1798 AD. The articles addressed various aspects of the Egyptian arts, literature, economics and politics.

Paul Imbert’s ‘La Rénovation de l’Empire Ottoman; affaires de Turquie’ offers a thorough analysis of the Ottoman Empire’s efforts to modernise and reform itself in the early 20th Century. Imbert, a renowned historian and expert on Turkish affairs, delved into the political and social changes that the Empire saw during this period.

HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan has previously granted HoW 12,000 titles comprising rare and valuable publications on the history of Arab and Islamic art and architecture, including two-century-old, limited edition works. Among that grant was the private library of renown Professor Richard Ettinghausen.