المخطوطات الجزائرية في الخزائن والمكتبات الإفريقية (مكتبة ماما حيدرة للمخطوطات والوثائق (مالي) أنموذجا)

Algerian Manuscripts in African Libraries and Collections (The Mamma Haidara Manuscript and Document Library in Mali as a Case Study)

Abstract

This research paper encompasses Algerian Manuscripts in African Libraries and Collections. This study investigates the presence and significance of these manuscripts, using the Mamma Haidara Manuscript Library in Timbuktu, Mali, as a primary case study to explore Algeria's scholarly legacy in West Africa. This research adopts a historical and descriptive case study approach. It focuses on the Mamma Haidara Library, analyzing its collection to identify and contextualize the approximately 220 manuscripts of Algerian origin. The study draws on historical records to trace the migration of Algerian scholars to Mali and examines the current state of preservation efforts for these texts. The findings confirm that the Mamma Haidara Library is a major repository for Algerian manuscripts, covering diverse fields such as Qur'anic sciences, jurisprudence, literature, and astronomy. The research also highlights the severe threats, including environmental damage and theft, that have endangered this dispersed Algerian heritage. The study emphasizes the urgent need for coordinated international preservation and digitization projects to safeguard these vulnerable manuscripts. It also calls for further research to comprehensively catalog all Algerian manuscripts in African collections, which is crucial for a complete understanding of Algeria's intellectual history and its role in the broader African and Islamic intellectual tradition.