UCLA Digital Library Program

Within the walls of the Greco-Roman Museum, Alexandria, Egypt are three intricate mosaics of very fine quality between the second and third century, BCE. Under the auspices of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), Father Michele Piccirillo of the Studium Biblicum Franciscum directed the conservation of the mosaics. Notably, it resulted in the public viewing of the stag hunt mosaic for the first time since its discovery. Conservation work was made possible with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (formerly the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities). This collection consists of photographs and reports pertaining to …

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

Scattered across what is termed “Historic Cairo” are countless buildings and monuments with a long, rich history. Under the auspices of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), Dr. Nicholas Warner completed the survey and documentation of 400 of these monuments in the 1990s, as well as the production of 31 map sheets depicting their locations within and relationship to urban Cairo. The Historic Cairo Architectural Mapping (HCAM) project was made possible with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (formerly the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities). This collection consists of maps and reports pertaining to the …

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

In the early 19th century, Mullah Mahmood Talabani revived Qadiri Sufism in Kirkuk. Abdul-Qadir Gilani articulated Qadiri Sufism in the 11th century, but after that time it experienced a slow decline. Under the guidance of Mullah Mahmood and his sons, the order became once more a predominant religious presence in Mesopotamia and the Persian and Ottoman Empires. The Talabani sheikhs created not only mosques, but tekiyes: places for peripatetic scholars to rest, study, and exchange knowledge. In the 19th century, the Talabani tekiyes provided space for liberal, some might say heretical, thought. This legacy lives on today. As the Islamic …

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

The 2017 Kurdish Referendum for Independence was an initiative to grant independence to the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Though the referendum was passed in a landslide, military conflict between Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government nullified the outcome. This collection consists of photographs, political cartoons, memes, and campaign materials related to the 2017 referendum.

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

During the New Kingdom reigns of Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun, and Seti I, a large collection of sandstone block reliefs were carved. These fragments were used in the Opet celebration, an ancient Egyptian celebration affirming the Pharaoh’s possession of the royal Ka. It would later be discovered that a majority of these fragments also composed the Colonnade Hall and the Sun Court of Amenhotep III of the Luxor Temple. Over the years, they have repeatedly been reused for the foundations of structures in late antiquity through to the medieval period and beyond the Extending to 19th century Egypt when French and …

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

This collection contains images documenting the mosque of Abu ‘Ali Isma’il al- Muqashqish and the adjacent Luxor Police Station. A site of significance in the history of Luxor city, the mosque of Abu ‘Ali Isma’il al- Muqashqish, as well as the nearby Luxor Police Station, was documented by the office of Hampikian-Ibrashy under the auspices of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE). This was in response to plans to tear down both these structures to build the Avenue of the Sphinxes. Architects Nairy Hampikian & May El-Ibrashi documented the sites extensively through photo, manual, and digital architectural documentation methods. …

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

This collection includes objects and books made by Adnan Mohammed Hasan, a prisoner in Abu Ghraib under Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein imprisoned his Communist and Islamist political opponents, including many Shia from the Dawa party like Adnan. During long sentences in Abu Ghraib, prisoners found ways to fill their time and keep themselves from surrendering. The prisoners were innovative and managed to create an environment where they could express their ideas freely and practice what they were found guilty of practicing in the outside world.

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

The Armenian Soviet Posters Collection comprises Soviet Era propaganda posters covering a variety of subjects, from arts and culture to industry and science. These posters translate and re-imagine the ideology and the agenda of the Soviet Union for Armenian society.

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

The Tahrir Documents Project was established by Levi Thompson, Cameron Hu, Elias Saba and Emily Drumsta with the aim to digitize, translate, and post online printed discourse collected during and after popular demonstrations of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Established in the spring, the group grew into a review board with approximately ninety volunteer translators located in Egypt and abroad. The Tahrir Documents project was not affiliated with any of the groups or authors whose works appear with translations on the website, or with any foreign or domestic organization. From March 2011 to May 2012, the group continuously worked to scan …

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program

Between 1290 BCE and 1279 BCE, King Seti I ruled ancient Egypt. He was the second king of the 19th dynasty, ruling during the New Kingdom period. Upon his death, he was buried in a tomb located in the Theban Necropolis, Valley of the Kings (KV17). This tomb now remains as the largest known decorated tomb in the Theban Necropolis, boasting the best preservation and workmanship compared to his immediate successors. This was also the first tomb to be completely decorated in painted relief, every surface available being utilized. The area of the tomb covered in mural decoration is an …

Institution: UCLA, Digital Library Program