Maḥmūdīyah Library Explained

Maḥmūdīyah Library
Native Name:	مكتبة المحمودية
Native Name Lang:	ar
Country:	Egypt
Location:	Cairo
Established:	1394-1395 CE (797 A.H.)

The Maḥmūdīyah Library, also known as the Maḥmūdīyah Madrasa Library, was established in Cairo, Egypt, in 1394-1395 CE (797 A.H.). It was the largest madrasa library in Mamluk Sultanate (now Egypt) and Syria, attracting prominent scholars with its rare and impressive collection of books.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

History

The library was founded by Jamal al-Din al-Ustadar, who dedicated the book as part of his measures to protect his property and wealth from seizure by the authorities. The original terms of endowment and staff positions for the Mahmoudiya Madrasah and its library are outlined in a now lost endowment deed.^[5]

Notes and References

1. The Maḥmūdīyah: The History of a Library, Its Books, and Its Readers . The University of Chicago . Wynter-Stoner . Kyle .
2. Book: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Science, and Technology in Islam . 978-0-19-981257-8 . Libraries in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey . 2014 . Oxford University Press .
3. Web site: Kyle Wynter-Stoner | University of Chicago - Academia.edu .
4. Books, Corruption, and an Emir's Downfall: The Founding of the Maḥmūdīyah Library in Mamluk Cairo . 10.1086/721639 . 2022 . Wynter-Stoner . Kyle . Journal of Near Eastern Studies . 81 . 2 . 335–362 .
5. The Maḥmūdīyah: The History of a Library, Its Books, and Its Readers . The University of Chicago . Wynter-Stoner . Kyle .