The King Abdulaziz Public Library\u2019s Restoration and Treatment Center has restored and treated 10,861 historical and documentary items, preserving a diverse collection of materials that document important chapters in the history and cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia and the wider region.<\/p>\n
The restored collection includes manuscripts, rare books, historical documents, photographs, maps, newspapers and periodicals, with some items dating back more than 250 years.<\/p>\n
Among the notable materials are historical photographs of the Two Holy Mosques and Saudi cities, rare newspaper editions documenting major events, and an 18th-century map of the Arabian Peninsula.<\/p>\n
The restoration work includes a collection of historical photographs documenting the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet\u2019s Mosque in Madinah.<\/p>\n
The images capture different stages of the architectural transformation experienced by the two holy cities and provide valuable visual records for researchers studying their development.<\/p>\n
Other restored photographs document Arabian horses and royal stables associated with several Saudi kings and princes.<\/p>\n
The collection also includes historic images of Taif, recording the city’s landmarks, urban transformation and aspects of social life during earlier periods.<\/p>\n
The center has also worked on rare newspapers, magazines and periodicals affected by age and deterioration.<\/p>\n
Among them is a special edition of Al-Riyadh newspaper titled \u201cRiyadh Between the Past and Present,\u201d whose pages underwent careful rehabilitation while preserving their original characteristics and appearance.<\/p>\n
Another restored item is the 14th issue of Sawt Al-Sharq magazine, published in 1953 and dedicated to the Kingdom during the reign of King Saud.<\/p>\n
The collection also includes issue No. 960 of Al-Khawater newspaper, dated March 29, 1975, which documented the death of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz.<\/p>\n
These publications underwent specialized cleaning, treatment and reinforcement processes designed to slow deterioration while preserving their documentary value.<\/p>\n
One of the collection’s most striking items is a copy of a historical map of the Arabian Peninsula whose original dates to 1771.<\/p>\n
The edition treated by the center was published in 1789 using copperplate engraving techniques.<\/p>\n
The map presents the three classical divisions of the Arabian Peninsula and includes geographical information on locations such as Diriyah, Rumah, Al-Mithnab, Al-Houta and Abu Arish.<\/p>\n
Its decorative features and illustrations also provide insight into the techniques and artistic conventions used in mapmaking during the 18th century.<\/p>\n
The conservation process begins with sterilization, before specialists proceed with treatment and restoration based on the condition and characteristics of each individual item.<\/p>\n
This initial stage helps prevent agents responsible for deterioration from spreading through historical materials.<\/p>\n
Specialists then determine the appropriate level of intervention while seeking to preserve original components and avoid altering the historical characteristics of each item.<\/p>\n
Such procedures are particularly important when dealing with fragile paper, photographs and books that may have survived for decades or even centuries.<\/p>\n
The center’s work is not limited to the King Abdulaziz Public Library’s own collections.<\/p>\n
It also receives historical materials belonging to individuals as well as government and private organizations, examining each item to determine whether it requires sterilization, treatment or full restoration.<\/p>\n
The center additionally organizes specialized workshops and training programs focused on preserving cultural collections.<\/p>\n
These programs aim to transfer conservation expertise and strengthen scientific practices among professionals, interested individuals and relevant institutions.<\/p>\n
The restoration of 10,861 historical items represents more than the physical preservation of aging documents.<\/p>\n
These materials serve as primary historical sources that can help researchers and future generations explore Saudi Arabia’s cultural, social and political development.<\/p>\n
From an Arabian Peninsula map dating back more than 250 years to rare photographs of the Two Holy Mosques and newspapers documenting pivotal moments, the collection preserves fragments of historical memory that might otherwise be lost to time.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The King Abdulaziz Public Library\u2019s Restoration and Treatment Center has restored and treated 10,861 historical and documentary items, preserving a diverse collection of materials that document important chapters in the history and cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The restored collection includes manuscripts, rare books, historical documents, photographs, maps, newspapers and periodicals, with some items dating back more than 250 years. Among the notable materials are historical photographs of the Two Holy Mosques and Saudi cities, rare newspaper editions documenting major events, and an 18th-century map of the Arabian Peninsula. Rare Images of the Two Holy Mosques<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57698,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11217],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture"],"yoast_head":"\n