Medieval manuscripts are an essential part of Persian cultural heritage and a rich source of the country’s material culture. Their study sheds light on shared materials across the Mediterranean and Near East. The practice of using blue and purple in manuscripts was popular during the Middle Ages in both Europe and Persia. Persian historical treatises describe a blue dye plant used for paper, in addition to blue indigo, although its specific terminology was previously unknown. The plant is identified as Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A. Juss., also known as turnsole; the dye extracted from it is commonly known as folium. This study is divided into three phases: First, dye extraction techniques from C. tinctoria fruits were studied based on historical Persian recipes. Second, methods for reconstructing blue-purple paper dyes from turnsole fruits were explored, with local plants harvested in Iran during August and September, and the dyes analysed using spectroscopy, finding a good agreement to folium spectra obtained from European (central Italy) fruits of C. tinctoria . Third, folium was identified on manuscripts produced under Islamic rule in the Middle Ages. The findings suggest discussion as to whether this dye was used in Persian manuscripts too, given the notable corpus of citations in Persian historical treatises.
Preserving rare manuscripts through digitization has become an essential part of efforts to safeguard cultural heritage in the digital age. These fragile or deteriorating documents face the risk of damage and loss, and information technology provides an effective solution to protect these valuable resources for future generations. It not only helps preserve the originals, but also makes historical knowledge more accessible and flexible. This study adopted a descriptive and analytical approach to present the experience of the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries in digitizing manuscripts, rare books, and 3D-objects. The study relied on observations and field visits to the digitization lab at the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries. Most of these libraries contain a unique collection of manuscripts and rare documents of historical significance. The study resulted in many findings, the most notable of which is the completion of the digitization of 13,411 manuscripts, while 2,280 manuscripts still require conservation. The total number of digitized rare books is 7,644. This study demonstrates that digitization represents a modern and effective technical means for the preservation of ancient manuscripts and rare books, facilitating access and sharing, long-term preservation, and significantly contributing to the preservation of human cultural heritage.
Bamboo paper is one of the most important types of traditional handmade paper in China. The manufacturing processes of bamboo paper can be categorized into cold digestion (uncooked) and hot digestion (cooked) methods. Different production processes have different effects on the properties of paper. This article studies the effects of different processes on the properties of bamboo paper through scientific experiments on basic physical properties, mechanical properties, pH, degree of polymerization, optical properties, chemical structure, crystalline structure, microscopic morphology, and aging resistance of bamboo paper produced by different processes. The results showed that cooking, post-fermentation, and bleaching in the papermaking process were the main factors affecting the properties of bamboo paper. Paper prepared from cooked pulp is superior to paper prepared from uncooked pulp in terms of pH, folding endurance, crystallinity indices, and aging resistance, but long post-fermentation processes and chemical bleaching would have adverse effects on the physicochemical properties and aging resistance of cooked paper. The research results showed that the key to making high-quality bamboo paper lies in the repeated weak alkali cooking of raw materials, a short post-fermentation process, and the minimal use of strong chemical bleaching agents.
This study proposes a combined treatment based on Persian gum known as zedu that aims to combat some of the main factors contributing to the deterioration of paper-based cultural heritage. Persian gum was used as a reinforcing agent to restore the mechanical strength and stability of paper. The research is a practical study with an analytic-comparative approach testing mechanical strength, resistance to biological attack, and color changes according to standard protocols. Nanoparticles of zedu with varying weight percentages were extracted and combined with calcium hydroxide and glycerol to enhance pH and flexibility. The extract of Satureja khuzestanica was tested for its effectiveness against biological degradation. A treatment solution was applied to paper samples, which were subjected to artificial aging under humidity and temperature conditions following ISIRI-4706 for six full days, and light exposure for 4 days. Measurements revealed an increase in tensile strength depending on the amount of the gum used. Colorimetric measurements indicated minimal color changes for the treated and untreated samples before and after aging. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the inhibition of common fungal growth on treated paper at concentrations of 500 and 100 µl of S. khuzestanica extract.
