{"id":57271,"date":"2026-04-28T15:44:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/?p=57271"},"modified":"2026-04-28T15:44:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:44:43","slug":"the-library-at-mashhad-mashad-meshed-in-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roger-pearse.com\/weblog\/2026\/04\/28\/the-library-at-mashhad-mashad-meshed-in-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"The library at Mashhad \/ Ma\u0161had \/ Meshed in Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2011 I reported<\/a> on the discovery of Arabic translations of important works by Galen, at the library at Meshed (or Mashhad) in north-eastern Iran.\u00a0 My last post<\/a> back then mentioned (although I was unclear what the discovery was) the discovery in the same library of what turns out to be the lost books IV to VII of the Arithmetica<\/em> of Diophantus of Alexandria, in the Arabic Translation Attributed to Qust\u0101 ibn L\u016bq\u0101.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The Diophantus indeed has been published with translation by Jacques Sessiano, and is available on Amazon here<\/a>.\u00a0 The blurb is rather interesting:<\/span><\/p>\n

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This edition of Books IV to VII of Diophantus’ Arithmetica, which are extant only in a recently discovered Arabic translation, is the outgrowth of a doctoral dissertation submitted to the Brown University Department of the History of Mathematics in May 1975.<\/p>\n

Early in 1973, my thesis adviser, Gerald Toomer, learned of the existence of this manuscript in A. Gulchin-i Macani’s just-published catalogue of the mathematical manuscripts in the Mashhad Shrine Library, and secured a photographic copy of it. In Sep\u00adtember 1973, he proposed that the study of it be the subject of my dissertation. Since limitations of time compelled us to decide on priorities, the first objective was to establish a critical text and to translate it. For this reason, the Arabic text and the English translation appear here virtually as they did in my thesis.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It seems that this library contains copies in Arabic of Greek scientific and mathematical works which are not known to us.<\/p>\n

I found myself wondering where this library was, and what could be known about it.\u00a0 To my surprise, it is not exactly an obscure library.\u00a0 Mashhad (which seems to be the favoured spelling online) is a significant city in Iran.\u00a0 The name itself is a word which means “tomb of the martyr”, so there are many “mashhads” in Iran.\u00a0 This one refers to the Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam, who is buried in the city, which is therefore a major Shia pilgrimage site.\u00a0 The shrine and the associated buildings form a complex in the city centre, which can be viewed easily on Google Maps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There is an Encyclopedia Iranica article on “\u0100st\u0101n-e qods-e ra\u017cawi” here<\/a>, which clarifies that Astan Quds Razavi is the name of the complex of buildings around the shrine.<\/p>\n

The library of interest to us is the “Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi”, which has a Wikipedia page here<\/a>.\u00a0 The library itself has a website, an online catalogue and email address: http:\/\/www.aqlibrary.org and info@aqlibrary.org\u00a0<\/a>(these details from here<\/a>), although these appear to be currently offline, no doubt because of the ongoing foolishness out there right now.<\/p>\n

I confess that looking at the map fills me with a desire to do a coach tour of Iran.<\/p>\n

In fact the building itself is modern, although it was built in a traditional style.\u00a0 Internally the building is modern.<\/p>\n

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As the Amazon blurb indicates, the librarian compiled a catalogue of the manuscripts.\u00a0 His name turns out to be Gulchin Maani, or rather “Gol\u010din Ma\u02bf\u0101ni, A\u1e25mad” (d. 2000), and there is an Iranica Online article<\/a> about him (with photograph, in jacket and tie).<\/p>\n

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In 1342 \u0160.\/1963 he moved to Ma\u0161had, where he served as bibliographer of the manuscript collection of \u0100st\u0101n-e qods-e ra\u017cawi (q.v.). He prepared the following catalogues of Persian and Arabic manuscripts of the library:<\/p>\n