The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures at the University of Hamburg in Germany, ETH Zurich, and the Faculty of Archaeology at Ain Shams University in Egypt, held an open research day titled “Textual and Material Evidence in the Dating of Islamic Manuscripts.” The event drew strong participation from specialists in Islamic manuscripts.

In his opening remarks during the event, held via videoconference on Monday, 24 August 2026, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector, conveyed the greetings of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, to the participants. He expressed his satisfaction with this distinguished scholarly partnership, which reflects the importance of international cooperation in advancing the study of Islamic manuscripts and developing specialized research in the field.

Dr. Zinelabidine highlighted the special attention ICESCO devotes to manuscripts through its Calligraphy and Manuscripts Center, its scholarly and cultural programs, and its strong partnerships with universities and research centers, in addition to its ongoing cooperation with experts and specialists.

The event, whose sessions were moderated by Dr. Idham Hanash, Head of ICESCO’s Calligraphy and Manuscripts Center, featured five scholarly presentations delivered by Dr. Ahmed Abd El Baset, expert at the Center; Dr. Konrad Hirschler, Director of the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures at the University of Hamburg; Dr. Said Aljomani, researcher at the Centre; Dr. Hassan Ebeid, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Archaeology at Ain Shams University; and Dr. Irka Hajdas, Professor at ETH Zurich.

The event concluded with an open discussion between the experts and participants, featuring rich exchanges on the material and textual dimensions of manuscripts.