MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER
Ancient Manuscript Collection
(Georgia)
Ref N° 2008-17
PART A – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
1
SUMMARY
Georgia – National Centre of Manuscripts Ancient Manuscript Collection
National Centre of Manuscripts is the most important depository of ancient Manuscript books and
historical documents in Georgia. It was founded on 30 June 1958.
Major treasures of Georgian culture and history, kept at different times in various libraries and private
collections are brought together in the depositories of the National Centre of Manuscripts. Its
collection of about 15.000 manuscripts (5th-19th centuries) includes almost all the areas of ancient and
medieval Georgian culture and sciences - history, geography, grammar, philosophy, biblical texts,
hagiography, law, medicine, mathematics, astrology, alchemy-chemistry, dictionaries, medicinal
books, translations, literature, chronology, art history, miniature, music, travel, military texts, social
life, economy, as well as manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Russian, Greek, Hebrew, Syrian,
Latin, Ethiopian, Mongolian and others.
Many originals, lost in their mother languages (especially Greek) and known only by their Georgian
translations, have been saved from loss in the National Centre of Manuscripts.
2
DETAILS OF THE NOMINATOR
2.1
Name (person or organisation)
National Centre of Manuscripts
2.2
Relationship to the documentary heritage nominated
Owner of Ancient Manuscript Collection.
2.3
Contact person (s)
Buba Kudava, Director of the National Centre of Manuscripts
Tamar Gegia, Deputy Director National Centre of Manuscripts
2.4
Contact details (include address, phone, fax, email)
Buba Kudava, Director
National Centre of Manuscripts
0193, Tbilisi
Merab Alxeidze str. 1/3
Tel.: (995 32) 36-32-41
Fax: (995 32) 36-32-41
E-mail: kudava@manuscript.ge
Tamar Gegia, Deputy Director
National Centre of Manuscripts
0193, Tbilisi
Merab Alxeidze str. 1/3
Tel.: (995 32) 36-34-99
Fax: (995 32) 36-41-85
E-mail: gegia@manuscript.ge
3
IDENTITY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DOCUMENTARY HERITAGE
3.1
Name and identification details of the items being nominated
National Centre of Manuscripts Ancient Manuscripts Collection includes:



3.2
Georgian Manuscripts (5th-19th centuries) Up to 10.000, including up 4000 of the most
important palimpsest pages
Foreign Manuscripts (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Russian, Armenian, Greek, French, German,
Latin, Hebrew, Polish, English, Italian, Czech, Syrian, Ethiopian, Mongolian, etc) Up to
5.000.
Historical Documents (X-XIX cent.) up to 45.000
Description
National Centre of Manuscripts Ancient Manuscripts Collection
The fonds of Georgian MSS comprises up to 10.000 MSS, including 4 570 palimpsest leaves. The
MSS are dated from the 5th-19th centuries. Represented in the holdings are both original and
translated documents of church writings.
Of the original specimens of Old Georgian martyrlogical works “The Passion of Shushanik”, “The
Passion of Abo Tbileli”. etc. come down to us through relatively later MSS. Of the translations of the
great Byzantine theologians: Gregory Nazinzene, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, John of Sinai,
Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor and others, made by the well-known Georgian men of
letters: Euthymius the Athonite, Giorgi the Hagiorite, Eprem Mtsire, Arsen Iqaltoeli, and others.
Apart from documents of church literature, the most valuable specimens of secular literature are also
preserved in the fonds, including the unique MSS of the "Man in the Panther’s Skin" by the celebrated
Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli.
The Oriental fonds is largely comprised of Persian, Turkish and Arabic MSS. These MSS are
designated by three letters.
Collection K comprises the private collection of Jamshid Ardashir Afsher Maja os-Saltane, resident of
Tbilisi at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries (192 Persian, 37 Turkish and 34 Arabic MSS).
L, the same local collection, It comprises MSS coming from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Dagestan and
Turkish regions bordering on Georgia. The same letter is used to designate the MSS purchased from
private persons. Collection L is increasing.
Ac, the same Central Asian collection, comprises the MSS gathered during the journeys of David (?)
Chkhenkeli and Giorgi Tsereteli to Sammarkand, Bukhara and other cultural centers of Central Asia.
The collection of Greek MSS is comprised of 50 MSS – written on parchment and paper, both in
ancient and modern Greek. The MSS are dated from the 9th-18th centuries. Represented in the fonds
are largely documents of church writings: theological treatises, Psalters, hymns, nomocanons, etc. as
well as books of medical character. Of the MSS preserved in the fonds special note should be taken of
the so-called Korideti Gospel, copied in the 9th century; the legal acts appearing in the margins as
adscript, constitute an invaluable written source for the history of Southern Georgia. Of no less interest
are the collected works of Basil the Great, copied in the 11th century and adorned with most beautiful
capital letters and vignettes. Special mention should be made of the Greek papyrus, which are very old
and of great importance.
The fonds of the Russian MSS numbers 747 MSS dates from the 16th-19th centuries. Represented in
the fonds are copies of Russian translations of the correspondence of Georgian Kings and princes and
the members of their families; autographs of the great Russian writer Lev Tolstoy (1828-1910) and the
composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).
Brought together in the Varia fonds are copied items mainly in Latin, Old High German, French,
English, Italian, Polish and other European languages. The MSS are dated from the 15th-20th
centuries. This fonds is comprised of church as well as secular treatises.
4
JUSTIFICATION FOR INCLUSION/ ASSESSMENT AGAINST CRITERIA
4.1
Is authenticity established?
Authenticity of the Documentary Heritage is mostly established.
4.2
Is world significance, uniqueness and irreplaceability established?
World significance and uniqueness of Ancient Manuscripts Collection is partly established, which
means that scientist have studied part of the Collection manuscripts and they have established
significance and uniqueness of some manuscripts.
Historical and Cultural value of the Collection is immeasurable. Disappearance or deterioration of
each unit would constitute a harmful impoverishment of the heritage.
Many Greek, Persian and other originals, lost in their mother languages are now known only from
their Georgian translations and this adds to the significance of the Collection.
National Centre of Manuscripts Ancient manuscripts Collection has no direct equal.
4.3
Is one or more of the criteria of (a) time (b) place (c) people (d) subject and theme (e) form
and style satisfied?
(a) Time
Significance of the Collection depends also on its age, Old Georgian Palimpsest are dated from V-VII
centuries. In addition, the Ancient manuscript collection includes Greek papyrus of the III century BC.
(b) Place
Manuscript collections are created in different countries and they reflect the political, cultural, socioeconomical, environmental or urban situation of that period. From another side, location has an
important influence on these events and phenomena which are represented by the manuscript.
(c) People
The Ancient Manuscript Collection contains many important documents, which are connected to
Georgian Kings and Queens, firmans hocms, deeds of purchase, arzas, with resolutions by Iranian
shahs, Ottoman Empires Sultans Firmans and berates...
(d) Subject and theme
The subject and theme of the ancient Manuscripts are very wide - history, geography, grammar,
philosophy, biblical texts, hagiography, law, medicine, mathematics, astrology, alchemy-chemistry,
dictionaries, medicinal books, translations, literature, chronology, art history, miniature, music, travel,
military texts, social life, economy, and etc.
4.4
Are there issues of rarity, integrity, threat and management that relate to this nomination?
The Ancient Manuscripts Collection includes some very rare surviving example of its type and time
(for instance, Dionysus papyrus fragments, Old Palimpsest and etc.). In view of the importance and
uniqueness of the Collection, the Centre’s special regulations are in place to treat the manuscripts in a
Collection management plan
5
LEGAL INFORMATION
5.1.
Owner of the documentary heritage (name and contact details)
National Centre of Manuscripts
0193, Tbilisi
Merab Alxeidze str. 1/3
Tel.: (995 32) 36-41-85
Fax: (995 32) 36-41-85
E-mail: info@manuscript.ge
5.2
Custodian of the documentary heritage (name and contact details, if different to owner)
5.3
Legal status:
(a) Category of ownership
National Centre of Manuscripts is the legal owner of the whole collection kept in the Centre
(b) Accessibility
Originals from the Collection are accessible only for scientific purpose or for display in exhibitions.
People can access digitized or microfilmed records, or mass produced CDs or DVDs. Different type of
digitized copies are available in the reading hall, through the Internet and so on.
The National Centre of Manuscripts seeks to encourage access without discrimination wherever
possible. The sharing of ideas, resources and techniques makes for a diverse, multicultural internet
with constantly broadening access to the world’s documentary heritage.
The National Centre of Manuscripts is encouraged to use new technology to increase access to
documentary heritage in their own care, both reactively (that is, in direct response to enquiries from
researchers and other users) and proactively (for example, as publications and products, on line data
bases and files). As they grow, the Memory of the World registers will direct increasing traffic to the
custodial institutions represented in them: as with general awareness raising, impetus will be generated
nationally and regionally, as well as centrally.
(c) Copyright status
Copyright at the Collection is held by the National Centre of Manuscripts
(d) Responsible administration
Responsible at collection successful management is Centers administration.
(e) Other factors
6
MANAGEMENT PLAN
6.1
Is there a management plan in existence for this documentary heritage? YES/NO
On behalf of the National Centre of Manuscripts with the heritage we work competently, carefully and
honestly to protect and manage it.
1. Collection management politics
 The Administration of the Centre takes responsibility to treat and preserve Collection, on the
basis of the legal law acts.




Collection borders and diapason (Chronology, Geography, material...)
Criteria how to include the manuscript in the collection (There exists special acquirements of
the manuscript size, assessment of its intensity, judicial status legality, conditions of the
manuscript)
criteria how to differ collection through the funds (languages, chronological aspects)
Manuscript ownership methods (gift, heritage, buying, discover)
2. Development Strategy
 Characteristic Analysis (permanent working on the developing and widening the Collection)
 Quantity Analysis (making list of the collection units, quantity, period, preparing the catalogs
and making classification)
 Collection Rising
 Existing compactness in storages (quantity of the units per 1 sq.m.; compactness, to avoid the
Storage density)
3. Collection Security
 Prevention conservation (Storage temperature and Humidity; air-filtration; lighting; security)
 Investigate and Study (Make a paper object conditions, daily cleaning, security testing)
 Conservation (preserve the unit, slow down the damage-process, restore)
 To Preserve and insecure the manuscripts during the Expositions
7
CONSULTATION
7.1
Provide details of consultation about this nomination with (a) the owner of the heritage (b) the
custodian (c) your national or regional Memory of the World committee
PART B – SUBSIDIARY INFORMATION
8
ASSESSMENT OF RISK
8.1
Detail the nature and scope of threats to this documentary heritage (see 5.5)
There exist many risk-factors, at which should be pay an attention:
 physical security
 storage conditions (including temperature, humidity, light, air pollutants, animals and insects)
 chemical factors (ink, paint)
 fire
 water
9
ASSESSMENT OF PRESERVATION
9.1
Detail the preservation context of the documentary heritage (see 3.3)
To preserve the Collection it is necessary to regulate Storage environments – including
temperature, humidity, light, air pollutants, animals and insects, physical security. To avoid the
damage of the manuscripts restaurateur daily takes measurement on temperature and humidity in the
storages, reading hall and exhibition hall.
The National Centre of Manuscripts makes Careful documentation and collection control for
preservation. Depending on the material (paper, papyrus, parchment, textile, ink, paint) staff chooses
the inventory and techniques how to treat the manuscript. If conservation action is necessary, it is
important to document what was done, when it was done and which carriers were affected.
Conservation and restoration work should not distort or change the heritage beyond the intentions of
its creators.
Copying a document onto a different format – is useful and often necessary for access purposes.
Digitizing the fragile documents will save the original, that’s why administration of the centre pays a
lot of attention on creating the digitizing laboratory.
The significance of the Collection is deemed to transcend the boundaries of time and culture, and it
should be preserved for present and future generations and made accessible to all peoples of the world
in some form.
PART C - LODGEMENT
This nomination is lodged by:
Buba Kudava, Director
(Please print name)……BUBA KUDAVA………...
(Signature)………………………………… (Date)…………20.03.2008…………