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A 757-year-old handwritten Islamic manuscript, Kitab Sherh al-Asma, has been returned to its place of origin in Konya, central Türkiye, after being stolen 25 years ago. The manuscript, originally penned in 1268 by the Islamic scholar Ibn al-Burjan, had been missing since a theft at the Yusuf Aga Manuscript Library in the year 2000.
The rare work was handed over to the Konya Manuscript Library Regional Directorate by Nizam Mohammed Salih Yaqubi, chairman of the Sharia Supervisory Board at the International Investment Bank of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
During a handover ceremony at the Tas Bina Cultural and Art Center in Konya, Governor Ibrahim Akin praised Yaqubi for returning the work. Akin described the gesture as a moral, scholarly, and national act of consciousness rather than simply a correction in inventory records.
He emphasized the cultural importance of the manuscript, calling it a valuable heirloom of Türkiye’s scholarly heritage.
Nizam Yaqubi shared that his passion for handwritten Islamic works began during his student years, eventually leading him to build a private library of over 3,000 rare volumes. He explained that he purchased Kitab Sherh al-Asma from a merchant 25 years ago, and only after detailed research did he discover it had been stolen from the Konya Manuscript Library.
“I found out that this precious manuscript belonged to Konya. I immediately took the necessary steps to return it. There is no other country in the world that protects its manuscript heritage like Türkiye. The Ottoman sultans and their scholars gave special importance to this tradition,” Yaqubi said.
Speaking at the event, Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Nadir Alpaslan, underlined the ongoing efforts to recover the country’s looted cultural assets. He noted that more than 13,000 rare items have been repatriated to Türkiye in the past century through cooperation with international institutions and the determined stance of the Turkish government.
Alpaslan also praised the Manuscript Institution of Türkiye for swiftly restoring and preserving these returned works, further reinforcing the nation’s commitment to safeguarding its cultural legacy.
Following the ceremony, the manuscript was formally received by Bekir Sahin, regional director of the Konya Manuscript Library. The event was attended by prominent officials, including the President of the Manuscript Institution of Türkiye Coskun Yilmaz; Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality Ugur Ibrahim Altay; Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Fikret Fidan and Regional Director of Foundations Yilmaz Kilinc.
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