Gazi Husrev-beg Library, Islamic manuscript library in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Gazi Husrev-beg Library is a research library in the old center of Sarajevo, housing one of the largest collections of Islamic manuscripts in the Balkans. It has dedicated reading rooms where researchers can work directly with historical texts written in several languages.
The library was founded in 1537 by Gazi Husrev-beg, the Ottoman governor of Bosnia, who also built the mosque and the bazaar nearby. Over the centuries, the collection grew through donations from scholars and wealthy citizens.
The library takes its name from the Ottoman governor who funded it, and that name remains very present in Sarajevo today. Many of the manuscripts are written in Arabic, Persian, or Ottoman Turkish, showing how closely religious and scholarly life were tied together in this city.
The library sits in the old town of Sarajevo, close to the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, and is easy to reach on foot from many nearby sites. Those who want to consult original manuscripts should arrange their visit in advance, as access to certain materials may require prior approval.
The library holds some manuscripts that have never been fully catalogued, meaning researchers occasionally come across texts that have not been studied before. This possibility of finding something previously unknown draws scholars from many countries.
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