Yousry Elseadawy
The scribes of Arabic manuscripts. A historical and codicological study
The scribes of Arabic Manuscript. A historical and codicological study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the tasks engaged by the scribes of Arabic manuscripts from the beginning of Manuscripts age until the 7th century of Islam, with especial focus on the Arabic manuscripts which are preserved in the Egyptian and German libraries. The value and interest of this study lies in the fact that little has been written about Arabic scribal culture in terms of work flow of and the ethics and the duties of the scribal class. A more precise understanding of the practices of Arabic scribes and their manner of working will help explain the media revolution that took place in Abbasid times in Baghdad and its implications for later centuries. The main aim of this project is to paint a panorama of Arabic scribal culture, including its ethics and the rules of Arabic scribal conventions. Furthermore, it aims at clarifying our knowledge of the scribal process itself and throwing light on the culture of the scribes.
First Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Beatrice Gründler