From Heaven to Dust: Metamorphosis of the Book in Pre-modern Arab Culture

Few objects in pre-modern Arab Culture have generated stronger expressions of veneration than the book, sacred and profane. From the idea of the Book, the immaterial yet physical presence of the Qur’an, to its presence for the book culture—of commentary, of traditions and encyclopedias— and of Islamic universities and private libraries, the book played a significant role in the transmission and dissemination of knowledge. As an object in daily life it triggered a code of conduct vis-à-vis its special status. If the ‘aura’ around the manuscript book delayed the introduction of the printing press to early eighteenth century, the large number of books still written and copied defies the assumption of the printed book as the chief means of dissemination of knowledge. The moveable print set a caesura in the life of the book.