The oldest manuscript of “Kitab al-Shifa” has been discovered in London

During the working visit of the delegation from the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan to London, it was discovered that one of the most important sources in the history of Islamic science Ibn Sina’s Kitab al-Shifa exists in its oldest manuscript form within the private collections of art dealers.

This unique manuscript, consisting of 600 folios, is preserved in excellent condition. Specialists suggest that it was once housed in the libraries of the Timurid or Mughal courts, and its state of preservation further supports this conclusion.

On July 7–8 of this year, in cooperation with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the United Kingdom, the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan organized an exhibition of these artifacts at the London auction houses “Sotheby’s” and “Christie’s”.

So far, a special commission responsible for purchasing exhibits abroad has acquired 46 lots from “Sotheby’s” and “Christie’s”. During their recent visit to the United Kingdom, commission members also compiled a list of more than 120 historical artifacts from various private collections. These include cultural relics dating from the 5th century BCE up to the 19th century CE.

“The return of these exhibits to our homeland would be a major historical event not only for the exhibition of the Center of Islamic Civilization but for Uzbekistan as a whole. If such unique artifacts are brought back, the cultural heritage collection of Uzbekistan’s museums would rank second among CIS countries in terms of richness and uniqueness. What is especially pleasing is that during our visit to London we discovered the oldest manuscript of Ibn Sina’s Kitab al-Shifa. The work consists of 600 folios and is preserved in excellent condition. This indicates that it must have been kept in the Timurid or Baburid courts. Until now, we thought that the heritage preserved abroad would never return to our country. Yet initiatives carried out by our government prove once again that this assumption was wrong”, said Bahrom Abduhalimov, Vice-President of the Academy of sciences of Uzbekistan and director of the Institute of Oriental Studies named after Abu Rayhan Beruni.