Wednesday 09 / September / 2026
Muscat: The National Museum, in cooperation with the National Library of Belarus, inaugurated on Wednesday the “Book Culture of Belarusian Tatars” Exhibition.
The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr. Mohammed Said Al Maamari, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs.
The exhibition, which continues through 6 November 2026, presents unique examples of the manuscript heritage of the Tatars of Belarus from the holdings of the National Library of Belarus, highlighting the most prominent written legacy produced by Muslims that reflects their cultural and religious identity.
The exhibition comes within the framework of introducing the cultural diversity enjoyed by Belarus and highlighting examples of the contributions of Islamic communities in preserving and inheriting knowledge across generations.
Vadim Gigin, General Director of the National Library of Belarus, said: “The written heritage of the Tatars of Belarus represents one of the most precious and important parts of Belarusian history, offering a window into a unique cultural phenomenon that reflects the exceptional legacy of the Tatars of Belarus, who preserved their identity and became an authentic part of national life in Belarus. The exhibition is not limited to displaying these heritage treasures, but also represents a symbol of the growing ties between the Republic of Belarus and the Sultanate of Oman, embodying our mutual respect for history and our keenness to preserve cultural heritage.”
He added: “Our cooperation is not limited to this exhibition; as we express our deep gratitude to the National Records and Archives Authority and the National Museum in the Sultanate of Oman for their pioneering initiative to launch a specialized training program for restorers from the National Library of Belarus, allowing for the exchange of expertise and the enhancement of preservation and restoration skills to safeguard these heritage treasures for future generations. This cooperation serves as a bridge connecting our two countries, linking the past to the future, and contributing to the protection and study of rich Islamic book culture.”
The exhibition features a number of Holy Qurans dating from the first quarter of the 19th century to the early 20th century AD, bearing the names of their copyists and owners. These Qurans are distinguished by the multiplicity of languages used, as Arabic texts were recorded alongside Turkish, Belarusian, and Polish using the Arabic script.
It also includes exegeses of the Holy Qur’an dating back to the late 18th century and early 20th century AD, alongside manuscript writings known as “Kitab”—diverse collections of topics from the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, which record the places of their transcription and the names of their copyists.
The exhibition dedicates another section to displaying examples of the most widely distributed books among the Tatars of Belarus, which are small prayer booklets known as “Hamail”, prepared in the late 19th century and early 20th century AD in cities such as Slonim, Minsk, and other areas of Belarus.
The exhibits are not limited to religious works, as the exhibition includes part of a medical book dating back to the late 19th century AD, written in Belarusian and Polish using the Arabic script, along with examples associated with teaching reading, writing, and literacy, highlighting the broad function of manuscript books among the Tatars of Belarus beyond the religious realm into the fields of knowledge, education, and daily life.
These manuscripts were written in Arabic, Turkish, Belarusian, and Polish, all using the Arabic alphabet. Muslims in Belarus created a special alphabet based on Arabic script that enabled them to record the sounds of the Belarusian language with high accuracy, making it considered one of the writing systems most capable of representing these sounds compared to other alphabets.
It is worth noting that the National Library in Minsk is the largest library in the Republic of Belarus, founded in 1922 and housing millions of books and documents. Its modern building features a unique polyhedral architectural design, housing reading halls, a conference center, and an observation deck overlooking the city, making it a prominent cultural and architectural landmark.
The exhibition was accompanied by a lecture on the book culture of the Tatars of Belarus delivered by Krystsina Yermak, Head of Department in the Cultural Heritage Directorate of the Republic of Belarus. The lecture addressed the manuscript legacy of the Tatars of Belarus, highlighting the uniqueness of this heritage that combines Arabic script with Belarusian, Turkish, and Polish languages, and what it reflects of centuries-long cultural and religious interaction in Eastern Europe.
