The Glaser Collections

Bringing Together the Islamic Heritage of Yemen

"Introduction"

In the late 19th century, modern Middle East studies became the recipient of some especially rich collections of Yemeni manuscripts, thanks to a scientist who, in fact, didn’t really care about their contents. Eduard Glaser (1855-1908), an Austrian Arabist and archaeologist, was more concerned with the revenue from their sale, which he needed to continue his studies in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Glaser was one of the 19th century’s leading researchers on Southern Arabia and is regarded as one of the pioneers of Sabaean studies. He used his thorough knowledge of the Arabic language, Arab customs, and especially Islam to undertake four long scientific journeys through Yemen between 1882 and 1894.

Although Eduard Glaser's collections of manuscripts are an invaluable treasure, his main interest was in copying inscriptions. The collection of manuscripts was less important to him – but selling them was, in modern terms, a win-win situation: The libraries were able to increase their stock, and he could support himself during his travels and in between.

After Glaser managed to sell to the Royal Library of Berlin the 23 manuscripts he had collected on his first journey, he was tempted to try it again. The Royal Library bought another bulk package of manuscripts, this time numbering 240, which Glaser had collected during his second journey. The British Museum in London bought 328 manuscripts from Glaser’s third trip to Yemen, and he undertook a fourth journey from early 1892 to the spring of 1894. The Imperial Library (Hofbibliothek) in Vienna purchased, along with the main body of Glaser’s scholarly work, 284 manuscripts. A few years later, in early 1902, Glaser mediated the sale to the Munich Court Library of 157 Yemeni manuscripts collected by the Italian merchant Giuseppe Caprotti.

“The Glaser Collections” offer unprecedented insight into the intellectual history of Yemen, and first and foremost the subject of Zaydī jurisprudence. In addition to this topic, which is most prevalent in the manuscripts of the collection, various other fields are addressed, such as Qurʾān, law, tradition, history, grammar, lexicography, poetry, medicine, philosophy, and geography.

Still, most of the hundreds of Yemeni manuscripts Eduard Glaser brought to Europe were never subject to in-depth analysis.

The Digital Bab al-Yemen project at FU Berlin makes it possible for the first time to combine, show, and study a huge number of digitized manuscripts in a single online library. “The Glaser Collections” contain 140 texts from Berlin, Vienna, and Munich. For the first time in history, virtually anyone anywhere in the world will be able to study the uniquely rich but endangered heritage of Yemeni culture – an intellectual treasure that awaits (re)discovery.

"Staatsbibliothek

zu Berlin"

The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - PK (Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) hosts 264 Glaser manuscripts. 23 of these were acquired by the then Royal Library of Berlin after Eduard Glaser's first journey to Yemen from 1882 to 1884. Three years later, the library purchased another 241 manuscripts Glaser had collected in 1885/1886.

Until summer 2014, 86 Glaser manuscript volumes have been digitised. All 86 volumes are published in close cooperation with the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - PK.

Glaser 2 (composite manuscript) Glaser 2 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 2 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (Berlin State Library).

Glaser 6 Glaser 6, Kitāb Muḫtaṣar al-Hindī fī ʿilm al-ḥisāb, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 6, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 10 Glaser 10, Kitāb aš-Šifāʾ, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 10, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 12 Glaser 12, Kitāb al-Masāʾil fī-'l-ḫilāf baina 'l-Baṣrīyīn wa-'l-Baġdādīyīn, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 12, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 13 Glaser 13, Ḥāšiyat aš-Šaiḫ ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmān al-Hindī, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 13, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 16 Glaser 16, Ṯabat al-Mutawakkil ʿalā-'Llāh Šaraf-ad-Dīn Yaḥyā Ibn-Šams-ad-Dīn Ibn-al-Mahdī li-Dīn-Allāh Aḥmad Ibn-Yaḥyā Ibn-al-Murtaḍā al-Ḥasanī, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 16, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 17 Glaser 17, Kitāb Bulūġ an-nail fī maʿrifat al-ḫail, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 17, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 19 Glaser 19, Kitāb al-Muqaddima al-Kāfīya fī 'n-Naḥw, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 19, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 20 Glaser 20, Kitāb al-Musalsal, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 20, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 22 (composite manuscript) Glaser 22 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 22 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 26 Glaser 26, at-Tahḏīb fī ʿilm al-manṭiq, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 26, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 29 Glaser 29, Kitāb Kaifīya kašf al-aḥkām wa-ṣ-ṣifāt ʿan ḫaṣāʾiṣ al-muʾaṯṯirāt wa-'l-muqtaḍayāt, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 29, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 33 Glaser 33, title undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 33, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 34 Glaser 34, Dīwān, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 34, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 37 (composite manuscript) Glaser 37 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 37 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 39 Glaser 39, an-Nuṭq al-mafhūm min ahl aṣ-ṣamt al-maʿlūm, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 39, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 40 Glaser 40, Kitāb at-Tabṣira fī ʿilm al-ḥisāb, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 40, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 42 Glaser 42, undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 42, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 43 Glaser 43, al-Ǧuzʾ al-Auwal min Nuzhat al-albāb fī ğāmiʿ at-tawārīḫ wa-l-Ādāb, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 43, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 45 Glaser 45, Tamma al-Ǧuzʾ al-Auwal min Šarḥ al-Arğūza wa-yatlūhu fī 'l-ǧuzʾ aṯ-ṯānī bāb al-aʿḍāʾ, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 45, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 50 Glaser 50, as-Safar al-Auwal min Kitāb al-Muḥaṣṣal fī Kašf asrār al-Mufaḍḍal, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 50, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 51 Glaser 51, al-Ǧuzʾ aṯ-Ṯāliṯ min Kitāb at-Tafṣīl li-ğumal at-taḥṣīl, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 51, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 52 Glaser 52, al-Maǧmūʿ fī '-Muḥīṭ bi-t-Taklīf, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 52, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 54 Glaser 54, Kitāb Šarḥ al-muqaddima al-kāfiya fī an-naḥw, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 54, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 55 Glaser 55, Kitāb Salwat al-kaʾīb wa-tuḥfat al-adīb, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 55, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 58 Glaser 58, ad-Dāmiġ li-l-bāṭil min maḏāhib al-ḥanābil, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 58, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 59 (composite manuscript) Glaser 59 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 59 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 61 Glaser 61, Kitāb az-Zuhūr ʿalā Kitāb al-Lumaʿ, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 61, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 68 Glaser 68, undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 68, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 72 Glaser 72, Šarḥ al-Ḫālidī ʿalā 'l-Kāfīya, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 72, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 74 Glaser 74, title undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 74, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 77 Glaser 77, undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 77, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 79 (composite manuscript) Glaser 79 (composite manuscript), Haḏa 'l-Ǧawāb li-s-Saiyid al-Fāḍil Niẓām ad-Dīn Idrīs Ibn-Muḥammad Ibn-ʿAlī as-Sulaimānī, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 79 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 82 Glaser 82, Īḍāḥ sabīl al-wuṣūl ilā maʿnā ḏawī al-ʿuqūl fī maʿrifa qawāʿid al-uṣūl, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 82, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 83 Glaser 83, title undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 83, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 88 Glaser 88, as-Safar al-auwal min Šarḥ al-Aṯmār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 88, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 89 (composite manuscript) Glaser 89 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 89 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 91 Glaser 91, al-Kawākib al-muḍīya fī ḥuǧaǧ al-Imāmīya ʿalā iḫwānihim al-firqa az-Zaidīya, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 91, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 96 Glaser 96, Kitāb Minhāǧ at-taḥqīq wa-maḥāsin at-talfīq fī uṣūl ad-dīn, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 96, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 98 (composite manuscript) Glaser 98 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 98 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 101 Glaser 101, Kitāb al-Mustarshid, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 101, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 109 Glaser 109, Salwat al-rāghib wa kifāyat al-ṭālib min riwāyat ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 109, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 113 Glaser 113, al-Ǧuzʾ al-auwal min al-Kawākib an-naiyira al-kāšifa li-maʿānī at-taḏkira, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 113, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 115 Glaser 115, undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 115, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 117 Glaser 117, Ḥāšiyat aš-Šihāb al-Hindī ʿalā kāfīyat aš-Šaiḫ ... ʿUṯmān Ibn-ʿAmrū al-maʿrūf bi-Ibn-al-Ḥāǧib, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 117, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 121 Glaser 121, as-Safar al-auwal min ṯalāṯat aǧzāʾ min Kitāb Fukāhat al-baṣar wa-'s-samʿ fī 'l-qirāʾāt as-sabʿ, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 121, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 126 Glaser 126, ar-Risāla aš-šihābīya fī 'ṣ-ṣināʿa aṭ-ṭibbīya, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 126, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 128 (composite manuscript) Glaser 128 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 128 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 131 Glaser 131, Kitāb Nasamat as-saḥar bi-ḏikr man tašaiyaʿ wa-šiʿr, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 131, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 133 Glaser 133, Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt wa shawāriq al-anwār fī dhikr al-ṣalāt ʿalá al-nabī al-mukhtār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 133, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 139 Glaser 139, Kitāb aṯ-Ṯamarāt al-yāniʿa wa-l-aḥkām al-wāḍiḥa al-qāṭiʿa al-muqtaṭafa min āyāt at-tanzīl, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 139, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 143 Glaser 143, Ḥāšiya šarḥ al-ʿaqāʾid, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 143, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 147 Glaser 147, Kitāb al-Ǧauhara al-muḍīya fī tārīḫ al-ḫilāfa al-muʾaiyadīya, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 147, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 149 (composite manuscript) Glaser 149 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 149 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 155 Glaser 155, Kitāb al-Tanbīh, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 155, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 160 (composite manuscript) Glaser 160 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 160 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 163 Glaser 163, title undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 163, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 165 Glaser 165, Dīwān Saiyidī Muḥammad Ibn-ʿAbdallāh Ibn-Amīr al-Muʾminīn al-Mutawakkil ʿalā-Llāh Yāḥyā Šaraf-ad-Dīn, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 165, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 169 Glaser 169, Kitāb az-Zuhra al-muḍīya wa-z-zahra ar-rauḍīya fī naẓm masāʾil at-taḏkira al-fiqhīya, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 169, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 171 Glaser 171, title undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 171, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 173 Glaser 173, Ḥāšīyat aš-Šarīf ʿalā-l-Ḫubaiṣī, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 173, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 174 Glaser 174, Kitāb al-Wāfī fī ʿilm al-farāʾiḍ wa-l-adilla ʿalaihā wa-aqwāl al-muḫālifīn wa-l-ḥuǧǧa ʿalaihā, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 174, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 176 Glaser 176, title undetermined, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 176, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 180 Glaser 180, Ḥāšiyat al-Fuṣūl, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 180, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 181 (composite manuscript) Glaser 181 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 181 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 182 Glaser 182, Kitāb at-Tibyān, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 182, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 185 Glaser 185, al-Ğuzʾ aṯ-ṯānī min Kitāb Tanqīḥ al-qulūb wa-l-abṣār ilā kaifīyat iqtiṭāf aṯmār al-azhār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 185, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 190 Glaser 190, Kitāb al-Ġuṣūn al-maiyāsa at-tābiʿa bi-adillat aḥkām as-siyāsa allatī yafʿalahā al-aʾimma al-aʿlām wa-imrāʾ ar-riyāsa, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 190, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 191 (composite manuscript) Glaser 191 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 191 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 198 (composite manuscript) Glaser 198 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 198 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 202 (composite manuscript) Glaser 202 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 202 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 205 Glaser 205, az-Zahr fī ġayāhib ad-daiǧūrī Dīwān Abī-Mūsā al-Ḥabūrī, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 205, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 208 Glaser 208, Kitāb ad-Durr an-nāẓim fī qirāʾat ʿĀṣim, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 208, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 213 (composite manuscript) Glaser 213 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 213 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 217 Glaser 217, Hādhihi Waṣīyat al-Imām al-aʿẓam, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 217, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 223 Glaser 223, al-Darārī al-mansūqāt fī 'l-bawāhir al-makhlūqāt, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 223, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 227 (composite manuscript) Glaser 227 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 229 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 229 Glaser 229, al-Ǧuzʾ aṯ-ṯānī min Kitāb at-Tibyān, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 229, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 230 Glaser 230, al-Ǧuzʾ al-auwal min al-Baḥr az-zaḫḫār al-ǧāmiʿ li-maḏāhib ʿulamāʾ al-amṣār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 230, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 233 (composite manuscript) Glaser 233 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 233 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 234 (composite manuscript) Glaser 234 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 234 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 235 (composite manuscript) Glaser 235 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 235 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 236 Glaser 236, al-Ǧuzʾ ar-rābiʿ min at-Tibyān, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 236, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 238 (composite manuscript) Glaser 238 (composite manuscript), composite manuscript, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 238 (composite manuscript), Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Glaser 240 Glaser 240, Ḥāshiya ʿalá al-Sharḥ al-Jadīd ʿalá al-Tajrīd, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Glaser 240, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Ms. or. oct. 382 Ms. or. oct. 382, al-Ǧuzʾ aṯ-ṯāmin min al-Iklīl, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Ms. or. oct. 382, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

"Österreichische

Nationalbibliothek"

In 1894, 252 Yemeni manuscripts were donated to the Hofbibliothek (Court Library) in Vienna - now the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library). Eduard Glaser had collected them on his fourth journey into Yemen from 1892 to 1894, among inscription stones and many other pieces of scholarly interest.

Ten digitised manuscripts are presented here, in close cooperation with the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. The library is publishing more and more digitised manuscripts, so it is well worth visiting its website for updates.

Cod. Gl. 14 Cod. Gl. 14, Cod. Gl. 14 (composite manuscript), From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 14, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 66 Cod. Gl. 66, Kitāb al-munyah wa-al-amal fī sharḥ kitāb al-Milal wa-al-niḥal, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 66, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 71 Cod. Gl. 71, Taʿlīq al-ziyādāt wa-ẖulāṣat al-ifādāt, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 71, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 90 Cod. Gl. 90, Dhayl taʾrīkh Baghdād, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 90, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 102 Cod. Gl. 102, Cod. Gl. 102 (composite manuscript), From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 102, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 118 Cod. Gl. 118, al-Daʿwah al-sharīʿah al-ʿāmmah, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 118, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 126 Cod. Gl. 126, Kitāb Mirqāt al-anẓār ilá taḥqīq Ghāyāt al-afkār ʿalá muqaddimat al-Baḥr al-zakhkhār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 126, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

Cod. Gl. 137 Cod. Gl. 137, Kitāb Safwat al-ikhtiyār min nafāʾis al-akhyār fī mā jāʾa ʿan rasūl al-malik al jabbār Muḥammad sayyid al-aṭhār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 137, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 177 Cod. Gl. 177, Sharḥ al-Qalāʾid fī taṣḥīḥ al-ʿaqāʾid, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 177, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Cod. Gl. 205 Cod. Gl. 205, al-Khilāf fī al-awāmir. Mukhtaṣar Masāʾil al-khilāf fī uṣūl al-fiqh, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod. Gl. 205, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

"Bayerische

Staatsbibliothek"

In early 1902, Glaser mediated the sale of 157 manuscripts to the Munich Court Library - now the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library). The manuscripts were originally assembled by Giuseppe Caprotti, an Italian merchant living in Sanaa for more than 30 years.

25 of the Glaser manuscripts have been digitised, most of the digitisations being black-and-white images made from microfilms. In “The Glaser Collections”, the ten high-quality scans available are presented in close cooperation with the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1188 Cod.arab. 1188, Majmūʿ ʿAlī Khalīl, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1188, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1191 Cod.arab. 1191, Composite manuscript; contains: Kitāb mishkāt al-miṣbāḥ wa-ḥayāt al-arwāḥ, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1191, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1192 Cod.arab. 1192, Kitāb Taḥkīm al-ʿuqūl fī taṣḥīḥ al-uṣūl, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1192, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1193 Cod.arab. 1193, al-Jawāhir wa-al-durar al-mustakhraja min Sharḥ Abī Muḍar, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1193, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1249 Cod.arab. 1249, Sharḥ tahdhīb al-manṭiq, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1249, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1273 Cod.arab. 1273, al-Maḥajja al-baiḍāʾ fī uṣūl al-dīn, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1273, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Cod.arab. 1276 Cod.arab. 1276, Taʿlīqa ʿalá Miṣbāḥ al-ʿulūm fī maʿrifat al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1276, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1286 Cod.arab. 1286, al-Maḥajja al-baiḍāʾ fī uṣūl al-dīn, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1286, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1291 Cod.arab. 1291, Kitāb al-Baḥr al-zakhkhār al-jāmiʿ li-madhāhib ʿulamāʾ al-amṣār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1291, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Cod.arab. 1294 Cod.arab. 1294, Kitāb Mirqāt al-anẓār al-muntazaʿ min Ghāyāt al-afkār, From the collection of: The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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Cod.arab. 1294, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

The Digital Bab al-Yemen

This exhibition is part of “The Digital Bab al-Yemen”, a project currently hosted at Freie Universität Berlin. In 2013/14 it was funded by the European Research Council (project “Human Web”). The project’s main goal is to provide a universal online digital library assembling all manuscripts of Yemeni provenance from around the world.

For more information about the importance of this written evidences of Yemeni culture and an insight into the history of one representative manuscript, see our online exhibition “Yemeni Manuscripts - Their History and their Study” at the Google Cultural Institute.

We would like to thank the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - PK, the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek and the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek for their cooperation and Jens Kupferschmidt for technical support.

Credits: Story

Principal Investigator—Prof. Sabine Schmidtke

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions (listed below) who have supplied the content.
Stories from The Digital Bab al-Yemen, Freie Universität Berlin
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