Resources
A selection of links and resources from related sites.
Digitized Medieval Arabic Texts
Al-Waraq
main website for Arabic historical and geographical texts, including encyclopedias and dictionaries
in Arabic
American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, Jefat Library
digitized Arabic manuscripts in the AUB libraries
Birmingham University, UK, Mingana Collection
British Library, London, UK
links to digitized Arabic manuscripts, texts, documents, and illustrations from them here
French National Library – Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
search (in English) digitized Arabic manuscripts here
Harvard University Library, USA, Islamic Heritage Project
digitized Islamic manuscripts from the Harvard collections
Internet Mediaeval Sourcebook Selected Sources: Islam
large collection of selected sources translated into English
King Sa‘ud University Library, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
search in English
search in Arabic
Munich Digitization Centre (MDZ)
digitized manuscripts from the Bavarian State Library (Bayerische StaatsBibliothek) and other institutions
browse Arabic manuscripts here
Oxford and Cambridge Islamic Manuscripts Catalogue Online (OCIMCO), UK
project in progress digitizing Islamic manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, and in the University Library, Cambridge
Princeton Digital Library of Islamic Manuscripts, Princeton University, USA
Qatar National Library Digital Repository
Royal Library (National Library of Denmark and Copenhagen University Library)
digitized Arabic materials
Utah Univeristy, USA – J. Willard Marriott Library Arabic Papyrus, Paper and Parchment Collection
Arabic documents, including papyri, largely from Egypt
main website for Arabic historical and geographical texts, including encyclopedias and dictionaries
in Arabic
American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, Jefat Library
digitized Arabic manuscripts in the AUB libraries
Birmingham University, UK, Mingana Collection
British Library, London, UK
links to digitized Arabic manuscripts, texts, documents, and illustrations from them here
French National Library – Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
search (in English) digitized Arabic manuscripts here
Harvard University Library, USA, Islamic Heritage Project
digitized Islamic manuscripts from the Harvard collections
Internet Mediaeval Sourcebook Selected Sources: Islam
large collection of selected sources translated into English
King Sa‘ud University Library, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
search in English
search in Arabic
Munich Digitization Centre (MDZ)
digitized manuscripts from the Bavarian State Library (Bayerische StaatsBibliothek) and other institutions
browse Arabic manuscripts here
Oxford and Cambridge Islamic Manuscripts Catalogue Online (OCIMCO), UK
project in progress digitizing Islamic manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford University, and in the University Library, Cambridge
Princeton Digital Library of Islamic Manuscripts, Princeton University, USA
Qatar National Library Digital Repository
Royal Library (National Library of Denmark and Copenhagen University Library)
digitized Arabic materials
Utah Univeristy, USA – J. Willard Marriott Library Arabic Papyrus, Paper and Parchment Collection
Arabic documents, including papyri, largely from Egypt
Digitized Greek Texts
Βιβλία καὶ λόγοι
A bibliographical essay/work-in-progress on Byzantine Greek Language, Palaeography, Book Culture, Text Transmission, and Textual Criticism by Stratis Papaioannou
Perseus Digital Library
very large collection of digitized Greek texts, some of which include English translations
online access to Greek lexical tools
Pinakes|Πίνακες: Textes et manuscrits grecs
Searchable database of Greek manuscripts held in collections worldwide
Links to digitized manuscripts, where available
Bibliography of manuscript catalogues, including links to those available online.
Pyle: A Gateway to Greek Manuscripts
Links to digitized Greek manuscripts in various collections
Links to online catalogues of Greek manuscripts, as well as references to printed catalogues
General Resources
Collections électroniques de l’IFPO (Institut français du Proche-Orient), French Institute for the Near East Digital Publications
digital publications of the IFPO, covering a wide range of topics and eras, in French, some freely-downloadable
some items entirely digital, others contain summaries in French (and sometimes) English
Endangered Archaeology of the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA)
Searchable database recording and evaluating threats to archaeological sites in the MENA region
Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online
Open-access digital resources for teaching Islamic art, architecture, and visual culture
Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), New York, Publications
searchable database of over 360 publications of the MET since 1964
includes publications on Greco-Roman, Late-Antique, Christian, and Islamic exhibitions
many older publications are available as free downloadable pdfs
Pelagios Network
an initiative which links information online through common references to place
Perseus Digital Library
very large collection of digitized Greek and Latin texts, some of which include English translations
limited collection of digitized images of art and archaeological sites, mostly from Greece and Rome
very limited Arabic texts, mainly early English translations of the Qu’ran
Smart History
multimedia website about art history with short video and text introductions to all periods of art, including a short introduction to Islamic art, history, and to specific monuments including the Dome of the Rock, the great mosque of Cordoba, the Alhambra, and certain objects in museum collections
Virtual Centre for Late Antiquity
Promotes research on late antiquity (AD 200–700) for academic and non-academic audiences
Online Gazetteers
Cairo Gazetteer: Un thesaurus pour l’identification des monuments du Cairo
available in Arabic, French and English
Heritage Gazetteer of Cyprus
Heritage Gazetteer of Libya
Pleiades
gazetteer of ancient locations
A bibliographical essay/work-in-progress on Byzantine Greek Language, Palaeography, Book Culture, Text Transmission, and Textual Criticism by Stratis Papaioannou
Perseus Digital Library
very large collection of digitized Greek texts, some of which include English translations
online access to Greek lexical tools
Pinakes|Πίνακες: Textes et manuscrits grecs
Searchable database of Greek manuscripts held in collections worldwide
Links to digitized manuscripts, where available
Bibliography of manuscript catalogues, including links to those available online.
Pyle: A Gateway to Greek Manuscripts
Links to digitized Greek manuscripts in various collections
Links to online catalogues of Greek manuscripts, as well as references to printed catalogues
General Resources
Collections électroniques de l’IFPO (Institut français du Proche-Orient), French Institute for the Near East Digital Publications
digital publications of the IFPO, covering a wide range of topics and eras, in French, some freely-downloadable
some items entirely digital, others contain summaries in French (and sometimes) English
Endangered Archaeology of the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA)
Searchable database recording and evaluating threats to archaeological sites in the MENA region
Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online
Open-access digital resources for teaching Islamic art, architecture, and visual culture
Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), New York, Publications
searchable database of over 360 publications of the MET since 1964
includes publications on Greco-Roman, Late-Antique, Christian, and Islamic exhibitions
many older publications are available as free downloadable pdfs
Pelagios Network
an initiative which links information online through common references to place
Perseus Digital Library
very large collection of digitized Greek and Latin texts, some of which include English translations
limited collection of digitized images of art and archaeological sites, mostly from Greece and Rome
very limited Arabic texts, mainly early English translations of the Qu’ran
Smart History
multimedia website about art history with short video and text introductions to all periods of art, including a short introduction to Islamic art, history, and to specific monuments including the Dome of the Rock, the great mosque of Cordoba, the Alhambra, and certain objects in museum collections
Virtual Centre for Late Antiquity
Promotes research on late antiquity (AD 200–700) for academic and non-academic audiences
Online Gazetteers
Cairo Gazetteer: Un thesaurus pour l’identification des monuments du Cairo
available in Arabic, French and English
Heritage Gazetteer of Cyprus
Heritage Gazetteer of Libya
Pleiades
gazetteer of ancient locations
Greco-Roman Period – Photographs and Visual Resources
ARCHITECTURE
ACOR Photo Archive
photographic documentation of major archaeological and cultural heritage projects in Jordan sponsored by the center
search here
Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME)
large collection of over 40,000 aerial and ground images which illustrate settlement history in the ancient Near East • water-marked photographs, but can be ordered free for scholarly purposes
browse here
Brünnow and von Domaszewski’s Photographs of Arabia, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
photographs from the expeditions of Rudolf-Ernst Brünnow and Alfred von Domaszewski to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon in 1895–8, including Petra and Mshatta in Jordan and Bosra in Syria
browse thumbnails here
Getty Research Photo Archive, Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA
historical photographs of the Middle East
Historic Environment Image Resource (HEIR)
digitized historic images (particularly lantern slides and glass plate negatives) of sites worldwide, including the Middle East and North Africa
Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA
extensive digitized collections of historical photographs of Egypt and the Middle East
search here
New York Public Library, USA
digitized photographs of various sites in Egypt and the Middle East
search here
Real Virtual? History of Architecture Website, Columbia University, New York, USA
interactive website with images and 360-degree views (QTVRs) of important Greek and Roman buildings
Yale Digital Dura-Europos Archive (YDEA)
Digitally reassembles artifects and archival materials relating to Dura Europos using Linked Open Data
ART AND OBJECTS IN MUSEUMS
Arachne Database, German Archaeological Institute (DAI)
includes searchable photographs and records of hundreds of thousands of classical objects
requires first-time users to create a free account for access
British Museum, London, UK
excellent collections of Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Near Eastern objects
search here
Classical Art Research Centre and the Beazley Archive, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
important research centre and very useful databases of classical art, with many photos for teaching and research
browse databases of photographic material, including travel photos of Greece and Turkey here
search Greek pottery database here
browse Greco-Roman gem information and searchable databases here
browse casts of Greek and Roman sculptures in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK, here
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, USA
searchable collections with excellent image
search here
Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum (Corpus of Ancient Vases)
searchable database of Greek vases with classical scenes, with high-quality illustrations
search here
Dura Europos Collection, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT, USA
website dedicated to the important collection of material from Dura Europos in Yale University, the largest assemblage outside of Syria
Last Statues of Antiquity
searchable database of honorific statues and their inscriptions erected in the Roman world after AD 284
search here
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
outstanding collection of classical and Near Eastern art, including mummy portraits from Egypt
search here
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA
excellent collections of Egyptian, Classical, and ancient Near Eastern (e.g., Palmyrene material and Ctesiphon) objects
search here
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA
collections strong in Ptolemaic art and Roman sculpture
Roman Provincial Coinage Online
searchable database of Roman provincial coinage, with many excellent photographs, including the eastern part of the Roman Empire
covers Antonine period (AD 138–192)
search here
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, SMB Online Collections Database, Berlin, Germany
one of the world’s foremost collections of Greek and Roman art and architectural elements, including the monumental Pergamon Altar
browse or search objects here
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
very good collection of minor and decorative arts
search here
Christian East – Photographs and Visual Resources
ARCHITECTURE
Antioch-on-the-Orontes Excavation Photographs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
site photos and documents from Charles Rufus Morey’s excavations in the 1930s
browse thumbnails here
Butler’s Photographs of Syrian Expeditions, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
photographs from Howard Crosby Butler’s expeditions to Syria in 1899–1909, including of the churches in the limestone massif and Qalat Semaan
browse thumbnails here
The Christian Architecture of the Levant
photographs, plans, and assessments of the Christian architecture in the Levant
Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University Library, UK
browse or search thumbnails of Gertrude Bell’s photographs of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, taken in 1905–1918
Real Virtual? History of Architecture Website, Columbia University, New York, NY
interactive website with images and 360-degree views (QTVRs) of important early Christian and Byzantine buildings
ART AND OBJECTS IN MUSEUMS
British Museum, London, UK
excellent collection of early Christian silver and ivories
search here
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
collection of early Christian pilgrim art from the Holy Land (e.g. ampullae) and mosaics from Syria browse here
Dumbarton Oaks Museum, Washington, DC, USA
excellent research collection, with very useful collections of minor arts
collection of Byzantine seals
browse highlights here
Index of Armenian Art
database of Armenian miniatures, including a chronological database of Armenian manuscripts with color slides
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
important collections of early Christian and Coptic works of art, with zoomable images
search here
3D reconstruction of the South Church, Bawit, Egypt here
searchable database of Coptic ceramics (in French) here
Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), New York, NY, USA
one of the world’s premier collections of early Christian and Byzantine art
search here
Age of Spirituality Catalogue (1979), the first great MET exhibition of early Christian art, now freely available and downloadable online
Museum for Byzantine Art – Museum für Byzantinische Kunst, Berlin, Germany
extremely strong collections of early Byzantine ivories, sarcophagi, and architectural elements
part of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
browse or search select objects here
Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ, USA
small but representative collection of early Christian works, including mosaics from Antioch
to search here
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
strong collections in Byzantine and Coptic minor arts, including ivories, textiles, and metalwork
search here
Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, MD, USA
outstanding collection of silver, metalwork, ivories, and Byzantine manuscripts
search here
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT, USA
important works excavated from Dura Europos, Syria, and Gerasa (Jerash), Jordan
Islamic Period – Photographs and Visual Resources
ARCHITECTURE
ACOR Photo Archive
photographic documentation of major archaeological and cultural heritage projects in Jordan sponsored by the center
search here
Archnet
covers Islamic Architecture, including photographs (many now older) and descriptions of buildings, sites, and cities • has a dictionary for Islamic art
Creswell Archive, Oxford, UK
archive of K.A.C. Creswell’s photographs of Islamic architecture, held in Oxford
Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI) – German Archaeological Institute, Damascus, Syria
extensive photographic archive, especially of Ottoman remains, but not digitized
Foundation Max van Berchem, Geneva, Switzerland
extensive archive that includes 5,000 photographs of buildings and sites (apparently not online)
some freely-downloadable articles on projects they have supported
Getty Research: Photo Archive, Los Angeles CA, USA
has some historical photographs of the Middle East
Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA
includes extensive digitized collections of historical photographs of Egypt and the Middle East
search here
New York Public Library, New York City, USA
includes various sites in Egypt and the Middle East
collection not fully digitized
search here
North African Research Archive (NARA)
photographs of archaeological cultural heritage from Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco
Orient Institut Beirut (OIB), Lebanon
extensive photographic archive (not online)
ART AND OBJECTS IN MUSEUMS
Ashmolean Museum Jameel Centre, Oxford, UK
digitized collection of Islamic and Asian Art
search here
British Museum, London, UK
all objects digitized with short descriptions
search here
David Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark
Islamic art in the collection, arranged by type of material
Harvard Digital Collections, Cambridge, MA, USA
collection of digitized photographs, documents and objects held at Harvard University
Digital Library of the Middle East (DLME)
draws together of digital collections relating to the Middle East, including small finds, maps and manuscripts
search here
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
some objects digitized with short descriptions
search here
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA
all objects digitized, with short descriptions
search here
Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin, Germany
excellent collection of Islamic art, but not extensively digitized
Museum with No Frontiers
links to images of Islamic art collections in museums, arranged by country
Sackler-Freer Museum, Washington, DC, USA
major Asian and Islamic art collection
Shangri La and Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
former home of Doris Duke and now a foundation for the study of Islamic Art
includes good website links for Islamic art
excellent working papers and videos
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
database of all of its holdings, but there are only photographs of select objects
search here
Regions in Flux
Website focussed on lesser known archaeological and heritage sites in Egypt
