EXHIBITION OF ISLAMIC MANUSCRIPTS OF WEST AFRICA

Organised by
Islamic Courses as part of the
Muslim LitFest
2026
with the support of
Ebrahim College
present:
EXHIBITION OF ISLAMIC MANUSCRIPTS OF WEST AFRICA
The exhibition will begin with a short introductory talk about the history and contents of the manuscripts.
Date and time
: Friday 16th October 2026, 6.30p
m - 8
pm
Venue
:
Ebrahim College, 399-401 High Street, Stratford, London E15 4QZ
The manuscripts of Timbuktu and other Saharan cities are world famous. For centuries, down to the current day, a manuscript-producing tradition throughout the western Sahara desert has kept alive unique traditions of Islamic thought, science, piety and devotional practice.
For many, the Saharan manuscripts first became known as a result of one of the 21st century’s worst acts of cultural vandalism: the deliberate destruction by fire of thousands of manuscripts when the city of Timbuktu was occupied by terrorists in 2012. What is less well-known is that for every manuscript destroyed, a hundred survived, cared for by the families who have protected them for generations and almost impossible for foreigners to view or western academics to study.
This exhibition allows the audience a close look at some of the highlights of this famous collection.
The exhibition focuses on just one topic of the many represented in the manuscripts: Sufi thought and Sufi practice.
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ALL WELCOME - FREE ENTRANCE! PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY!
DEADLINE FOR BOOKINGs APPLY after which registrations will close!
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