The National Museum Issues Special Edition of Collection in Marine Science for Omani Navigator Ahmed bin Majid

The National Museum has issued a special edition titled “Collection in Marine Science”. The issue documents the greatness of what the Omani navigator Ahmed bin Majid Al Saadi wrote and reviving his marine prowess and navigational creativity.

The collection documents the origin of the manuscript titled “Kitab al-Fawa’id fi ‘Ilm al-Bahr wa al-Qawa’id”, (Collection of Manuscripts of Benefits in the Science of the Sea and Rules, as well as the abbreviation container in the origins of marine science and Arajiz), which was loaned from Al Assad National Library in the Syrian Arab Republic to the National Museum since 2019 CE, after the efforts made by the work team at the National Museum in cooperation with the National Records and Archives Authority, and with the support of the development institution of the Oman LNG Company .

The edition came in (722 pages). It includes the introduction to the study conducted by Dr. Humaid Saif al- Nofali to the manuscript and introduction to the edition. The first topic entitled (the copy of the edition), the second topic entitled (Manuscript Letters), and the third topic entitled (preserving the manuscript) and finally review of the photocopied version of the manuscript, along with displaying the details of the manuscript.

The “Collection of proses in Marine Science” manuscript was exhibited at the Maritime History Gallery at the National Museum for 3 months during 2021CE. The Manuscript was loaned from the Institute of the Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg in Russia. Dated back to the 16th century, it considered to be the oldest manuscript of Ahmad bin Majid in the world. It contains collection of Arajiz (poems) in marine science entitled; Urjūzah Moa’lakiya, Urjūzah Alttayiya, and Urjūzah Sufalia. Along with Kitāb al-fawāʼid fī ilm al-baḥr wa-al-qawāʼid (The Book of the Benefits of the Principles and Foundations of Seamanship), that was loaned from Al Assad National Library in Syrian Arab Republic.