Manuscript Collection & Catalogues
Introduction to the manuscripts collection
Faith and Fable; Islamic manuscripts from Cambridge University Library(PDF)
The contents of the Near and Middle Eastern manuscripts collections cover a wide range of literature in Arabic (over 1500 codices), Hebrew (over 1000), Persian (over 1200), Syriac (around 300) and Turkish (around 450).
E.G. Browne's personal collection of around 480 codices (Arabic, Persian and Turkish) are also held by the Library. His papers contain an important archive of original and unique Persian material on the first constitutional period in Iran (1905--1911).
The Library also holds major collections of documents, most notably the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Collection, over 140,000 fragments of documents and texts, principally in Hebrew and Judaeo-Arabic. The Michaelides Collection contains some 2,000 Arabic and Coptic fragments.
The Library also holds, on deposit, a collection of Islamic manuscripts belonging to Corpus Christi College and two sections of the Pote collection which are the property of King's College and Eton College respectively. Papers of E.G. Browne which are the property of Pembroke College are housed alongside the Library's collection and included in the catalogue.
Consulting manuscripts
Manuscripts are consulted in the Manuscripts Reading Room under the conditions for the use of that room.
Reproduction of manuscripts
Photocopying of manuscripts is not allowed but various photographic reproductions can be obtained. Restrictions apply only to materials considered too fragile or damaged for photographic procedures.
Order forms and procedures are simple to follow. If you require assistance with a manuscript written in a Near and Middle Eastern language, please contact the Near and Middle Eastern Department.
Should you wish to publish images taken from manuscripts held in Cambridge University Library, you must apply in writing to the Imaging Services Department.
The contents of the manuscript collections are not included in the ‘Newton’catalogue. Most manuscript materials have been described in the printed catalogues listed below. The numbers beginning 'A' refer to classmarks in the Manuscripts Reading Room. However, a significant number of Islamic manuscripts bought after the 1950’s are not included in any compiled list. Readers interested in these uncatalogued manuscripts should ask in the Near and Middle Eastern office, where they can consult a card index.
For Oriental manuscripts, the classmark should have the following structure:
- [Two letters] + Number e.g. Qq.292
- Add. + Number e.g. Add.1145
- Or. + Number e.g. Or.233
- Arabic, Persian and Turkish
E. G. Browne: A catalogue of the Persian manuscripts in the Library of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge, 1896.
A233.40 Browse the catalogue
E. G. Browne: A hand-list of the Muhammadan manuscripts, including all those written in the Arabic character, preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge. Cambridge, 1900.
A233.34 Browse the hand-list
E. G. Browne: A supplementary hand-list of the Muhammadan manuscripts, including all those written in the Arabic character, preserved in the libraries of the University and Colleges of Cambridge. Cambridge, 1922.
A233.34 Browse the hand-list
R. A. Nicholson: A descriptive catalogue of the Oriental MSS belonging to the late E.G. Browne. Cambridge, 1932.
A233.4 Browse the catalogue
D. S. Margoliouth: Catalogue of Oriental manuscripts in the Library of Eton College. Oxford, 1904. [On deposit.]
A236.22
E. H. Palmer: Catalogue of the oriental manuscripts in the library of King’s college, Cambridge. London, 1867
Moh.10.c.62; Cam.c.867.6; Bensly.5a.93; VI.3.81
A. J. Arberry: A second supplementary hand-list of the Muhammadan manuscripts in the University and Colleges of Cambridge. Cambridge, 1952.
A233.34 Browse the hand-list
S. C. Reif: Hebrew manuscripts at Cambridge University Library: a description and introduction. Cambridge, 1997.
A233.19
S. M. Schiller-Szinessy: Catalogue of the Hebrew manuscripts preserved in the University Library, Cambridge. Vols 1, 2i. The Holy Scriptures; Commentaries on the Bible; Talmudic literature. Cambridge, 1876.
A233.18
Published catalogues of the Taylor-Schechter Genizah Collection
R. P. Blake: Catalogue of the Georgian manuscripts in the Cambridge University Library. (Harvard Theological Review, 25 (1972), pp. 207-224.)
A233.12
W. Wright: A catalogue of the Syriac manuscripts preserved in the library of the University of Cambridge . Cambridge, 1901. 2 vols.
A233.52
A. E. Goodman: The Jenks collection of Syriac manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge. (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1939, pp.581-600
A233.55; P620.c.26.93
E. Ullendorff: Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts in the Cambridge University Library. Cambridge, 1961.
A233.10
C.R. Bawden : A first description of a collection of Mongol manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge. (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1957, pp. 151-160.)
A233.28; P620.c.26.102¹
M.C. Ricklefs & P. Voorhoeve : Indonesian manuscripts in Great Britain : a union list. Oxford. 1977.
A231.2
For the collections of manuscripts in Armenian, Coptic, Malay, Urdu and the Browne Papers (Persian), handwritten lists and catalogues which have not been published to date, may be consulted in the Manuscript Reading Room or Near and Middle Eastern Office on request.