23.JPG
June 2, 2014

An agreement is signed between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Vatican Apostolic Library on “Restoration of New Manuscripts and Their Digitalization in 2015-2016”

Azerbaijan’s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Vatican Apostolic Library while on a visit to Italy, June 2.

 

Director of the Vatican Apostolic Library Jean-Louis Brugues informed that the foundation of the Vatican Apostolic Library was laid in 1475. Over a million books related to various periods of the history are preserved here. Closed in July 2007, the library was again announced, in September 2010, open to visitors. In March 2014, digitalization of over 3 thousand books of the library started. This process is expected to take 4 years to complete.

 

Mehriban Aliyeva was informed of the library’s work and technical capacity, as well as the projects being implemented jointly with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. A number of manuscripts being kept in the library, including various manuscripts related to Azerbaijan and the region are being restored with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s support. At the first stage, 48 manuscripts were restored, and at the second stage, restoration of 16  manuscripts are underway. At the third stage, restoration of 11 works will be completed.

 

Mehriban Aliyeva was presented restored versions of about 50 manuscripts.

 

The Vatican Secret Archive, an integral part of the library, started to act as an independent entity early in the 17th century, having become separated from the library. 150 thousand copies are preserved in the archive. In 2012, copies of the documents being preserved at the Vatican Secret Archive and related to Azerbaijan were presented to our country. In general, 60 ancient manuscripts related to Azerbaijan are preserved at the Vatican Apostolic Library. These documents are rare manuscripts covering the period from the 9th to the 18th centuries. Among them, there are also rare manuscripts of Nizami, Fuzuli, Nasimi and other world-renowned poets and thinkers of Azerbaijan, as well as valuable works by medieval scholars that are not known in our country.

 

Mehriban Aliyeva viewed maps covering the Caspian Sea and Meddle East regions.

 

Then Mehriban Aliyeva and Jean-Louis Brugues signed a new agreement on “Restoration of new manuscripts and their digitalization in 2015-2016”.

 

Jean-Louis Brugues thanked Mehriban Aliyeva for this initiative, and expressed a hope this collaboration will deepen further in the future.

 

Noting that she was pleased with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s supporting the restoration of ancient manuscripts, Mehriban Aliyeva said ancient manuscripts were universal treasures.

 

At the end, souvenirs were mutually presented. 


PHOTO