Written by Clément Salah and Athina Pfeiffer (2024)

INtroduction

The National Laboratory for the Preservation and Conservation of Parchment and Manuscripts (NLPCPM)(Makhbar Siyana wa-Tarmim al-Ruquq wa-l-Makhtutat) is located behind the Museum of Islamic Art in Raqqada and preserves the manuscripts that were originally kept in the Great Mosque of Kairouan. The collection contains around 44,000 unbound Quranic manuscript leaves and over 48,000 unbound non-Quranic manuscript leaves, in addition to 381 private legal deeds (79 on parchment and 302 on paper) and 115 Egyptian papyri. The NLPCPM collection has long been recognized as one of the oldest collections of Islamic manuscripts in the world and holds material which date back to the 9th century CE. However, the collection remains understudied due to the notorious difficulty of getting access.

NLPCPM is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 4:30pm.

Location: Google Maps

GOING THERE

NLPCPM is located about 15 km south of the  city center in Kairouan. It is therefore not possible to get there on foot, except if you enjoy a 2 to 3-hour warm hike. The easiest way to get there is by car or cab – note that some cabs refuse to take you to NLPCPM. You may also hail a “louage” (9-person Tunisian mini-bus) heading south and ask to be dropped off at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities in Kairouan, just a few minutes' walk away from NLPCPM.

GETTING IN

Access to NLPCPM is by appointment only. Visitors must apply at least one month in advance and send an official request (preferably in Arabic or French) by postal mail, including a detailed description of the material they wish to research, to the General Director of the Tunisian National Heritage Institute (4, Place du Château, 1008 Tunis). Be aware that you can visit NLPCPM for a maximum of two weeks at a time.

The Tunisian National Heritage Institute has not been granting authorizations since Fall 2023 and NLPCPM has therefore been inaccessible for visitors since then. It is unclear when authorizations will be granted again.

Finding your material

You should come to NLPCPM with a good idea of the material you are looking for. The laboratory is primarily a conservation facility: there is no catalog, and staff cannot be expected to answer questions nor to search for additional materials. 

NLPCPM staff made an inventory of the collection in the winter of 2023/2024. It is unclear whether this inventory will be made available to visitors of the laboratory just as it is unclear whether this inventory is exhaustive or detailed.

Ordering your material

Ordering material is not easier: you’ll have to discuss with the laboratory staff who may or may not agree to fetch the material/be able to find the material.

Ordering scans

NLPCPM staff is in the process of digitizing the collection: some digital copies may be requested with the agreement of the General Director of the Tunisian National Heritage Institute and the chief conservator of NLPCPM.

Food and well-being

NLPCPM is not equipped with a cafeteria or break room. You can grab a meal in the vicinity of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities in Kairouan – there are cafeterias for students within the university as well as roadside restaurants for travelers.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS

There is no dedicated reading room at NLPCPM and you’ll likely have to work at one of the staff members’ desks. 

Link to the Kairouan Manuscript Project (Hamburg) : https://www.csmc.uni-hamburg.de/kairouan.html

Credits for the photo of the entrance to NLPCPM: Ismail Abdelghaffar.