Iqbal visitors to exhibition"Abu Dhabi Book" On the acquisition of old and rare publications

Abu Dhabi, April 29/ WAM/ The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair abounds with precious rare exhibits, from publications, manuscripts, maps and old magazines that are presented for the first time annually to visitors to the exhibition with each new session, so that those interested in purchasing them are noticeably.

The Emirates News Agency / WAM / toured some wings to see some of these anecdotes, a number of which were allocated for the 2025 version.

Mohamed Asif, the owner of a rare book and manuscript company, said in a statement to Emirates News Agency /WAM /that the most important characteristic of their participation for this year is albums that contain the oldest pictures of the elders of Dubai and Sharjah, as well as maps of the Arabian Peninsula from the fifteenth century to the twentieth century, and a collection of books by Ibn Sina and a thousand and one nights.

He added that the number of their exhibits in the 2025 session exceeds 300 manuscripts, printed and map in several Arabic, Persian, Latin, French, Japanese and Chinese languages, the most important of which is a map of the Arabian Peninsula since 1482, and maps of the UAE printed in it since 1971, and the most important books are the first edition of the Book of Thousand and One Nights in Arabic, English, French and German, and a copy of the law book in medicine for Ibn Sina printed in 1522, As well as an Arab manuscript, 300 years old, also for the law book in medicine.

He said that the demand to buy these anecdotes is interested in their acquisition, and they are mostly museums, public libraries, scientific institutions and some individuals from amateurs.

Asif pointed out that the acquisition company was established in 2017, and their participation this year is considered for the tenth time in a row, and the prices of their holdings range from 500 dirhams to 3 million dirhams.

For his part, Alex Warren, the founder of Zerzoura, for rare books based in Dubai, said in a statement to Emirates News Agency/WAM/, that this participation is the third for them in the exhibition, pointing to the presentation of rare and ancient books, some of them from the first publications from 100 to 200 years, including written in several languages ​​such as “The Jungle Book”, which were published in the late eighteenth century, and a thousand nights and nights of the 19th century, as well as the first novels James Bond in 1960, Harry Potter in 2000.

He added that “Zerzoura” was subjected to maps dating back to 1790, drawings of Mecca, the Arabian horse, the Arab world and the Gulf, in addition to the books of Arab history and the Gulf region.

He emphasized that all the books codified by “Zerzarah” are the first and signed versions of its authors since 1949, as well as during the periods of the sixties and the seventies.

He explained that the prices of these books are determined according to their rarity and availability in the market, especially if it is a signed book and its condition is very good, then its price rises whenever it is older and issued from 70 to 100 years, such as the books of Nizar Qabbani since 1949, then its price ranges between 2000 to 4000 dirhams, and there is an up to 100 thousand dirhams such as James Bond.

He pointed out that the choice of the name “Zerzara” came in relation to a legendary oasis lost in the desert rich in many treasures and precious, and it was chosen as the name of their book House to reflect their acquisition of rare books.

For his part, Anwar Mansour Al -Hariri of the Kingdom of Bahrain, who owns a private library for the sale of rare and ancient books and magazines in his statement to Emirates News Agency / WAM /, said that the oldest book he displays in his own pavilion since the sixteenth century and is a brief history Austria in 1860 AD, there are old copies of French publications 200 years ago, as well as old Emirati magazines that were released in the fifties and sixties, in addition to an old version in the French language of a report by the British MEED magazine on the UAE in 1974 AD, and the book of the owner’s behavior in managing kingdoms since 1305 AH.

Hariri confirmed that large numbers of his exhibits were carried out from the shelves because of the demand for their purchase by visitors to the exhibition.

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