The Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) is accepting applications for the annual summer 2025 Arabic Manuscript Course held virtually, from June 23 to 27, 2025. The application deadline is March 3, 2025.
Eligibility: Open to all individuals with a basic understanding of the classical Arabic language and a professional and scholarly interest in manuscripts. Beginner-level students will receive preference in the application process.
Course size: 15 maximum, 10 minimum
Cost: $275 (U.S.)
Course Overview
Sessions are held Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12 to 2 p.m. Central Time (CT,) a total of 20 instructional hours. The course will:
• Introduce students to the study of Arabic manuscripts in historical, cultural, and material dimensions.
• Provide a basic introduction to paleography, codicology, and philological practices, with a special focus on the application of these skills in a digital context.
• Engage with a wide range of scholarly reference tools for the study of Arabic manuscripts.
• Introduce students to a diversity of Arabic manuscript traditions from West Africa and the Middle East, both Islamic and Christian.
• By the end of the course, students will be able to contribute to the scholarly description of a previously uncataloged manuscript from the HMML collection.
Send a letter of no more than 1 page explaining why the study of Arabic manuscripts is important to your research, teaching, or educational program and a current CV to scholarlyprograms@hmml.org. Include “2025 Introduction to Arabic Manuscript Studies” in the subject line.
Any questions can be sent to Tim Ternes, director of programs (tternes@hmml.org).