Fahmi al-Ansari Library (MFA)

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The exceptional story of the library involves the passionate mission of Fahmi al-Ansari who started collecting books at the age of 16 for the general use of the public.

The collection was gathered mainly around the theme of the History of Jerusalem, which al-Ansari collects passionately even at the age of 75, without using the internet and while having no visible space in the library. In addition to books Fahmi collects and preserves newspapers from all over the region. They are piled up to the ceiling of the basement.

The library contains today 35,000 books, magazines and newspapers as well as 30 microfilm reels. The number of books and publications in the library is around 30,000. Most of the books deal with literary and religious subjects, with relatively few books covering scientific topics. The number of newspaper titles is approximately 100, while there are hundreds of titles of local, Arab and world magazines. Some of the magazines go back to the 1930s, although the number of complete sets is limited. The importance of the library stems from the lack of public libraries for Arabs in the city.

There are microfilms of some manuscripts from other collections. The printed books deal with Islamic religion, Arabic literature and language, Islamic history and a small number of social topics. There are scattered issues of newspapers from the 1950s, with complete sets of newspapers (especially local ones) from 1967 onwards.

There is a card catalogue (only for the magazines).

Saturday – Friday, 08:00 - 15:00

Entry prepared on November 2018.

https://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/jq-articles/1_maqdas_1.pdf
Jerusalem historical libraries and archives revisited, Revised report prepared for Open Jerusalem, October 2014, Merav Mack

Author : Open Jerusalem http://www.openjerusalem.org/