About Qatar Digital Library
One of the world’s largest online repositories devoted to Middle Eastern history and culture, Qatar Digital Library provides anyone free online access to a wealth of historical source materials on the politics, people, places, trade, culture and customs of the Gulf region and the wider Middle East. It includes archives, maps, manuscripts, sound recordings, visual arts and much more, complete with contextualized explanatory articles and links, in both English and Arabic.
Qatar Digital Library also includes a selection of Arabic scientific manuscripts from the British Library’s Manuscripts Collections, covering topics such as medicine, mathematics, astronomy and engineering.
Launched in 2014, Qatar Digital Library was developed as part of a longstanding partnership between Qatar Foundation, Qatar National Library and the British Library. The partnership includes the digitisation of a wide range of content from the British Library’s collections, aimed at improving understanding of the modern history of the Gulf, Arabic cultural heritage and the Islamic world.
Content highlights
Qatar Digital Library currently contains more than 2 million digitized pages, with new content added regularly. Highlights of the content include:
1. The India Office Records, comprising files from:
- IOR/F-G: Board’s Collections and Gombroon Diaries (1620-1859)
- IOR/L: Marine and Military Department Records (1600-1879)
- IOR/L/PS: Political and Secret Department Records (1901-1950)
- IOR/L/PS/20: J. G. Lorimer’s Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia (1908, 1915), a classic introduction to the history of the Gulf
- IOR/R/15: Records of the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. and Agencies in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (1763-1953)
- IOR/X: India Office Records Map Collection
2. The private papers of:
- Sir Lewis Pelly, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. between 1862 and 1873 (Mss Eur F126)
- Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1899-1905) and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1919-24) (Mss Eur F111-112)
3. Maps, charts and plans of the Arabian Peninsula and the wi der region, including maps from the India Office Records Map Collection
4. Arabic scientific manuscripts from the British Library’s Manuscripts Collections, covering topics such as medicine, mathematics, astronomy and engineering
5. A selection of photographs, postcards, sketches, drawings, watercolours, etchings, engravings and illustrations
6. A selection of historical books in Arabic and various other languages
Contact us
To get in touch, email us at [email protected]