Doha, Qatar
22 November 2008
Museum of Islamic Art
The Book of Secrets is a manuscript dating back to the year 1000. It is a priceless manuscript, as it includes descriptions and drawings of more than thirty ingenious devices including mechanical apparatuses, water clocks, automatic calendars and war machines.
How to host a temporary or permanent exhibition
The Book of Secrets is a manuscript dating back to the year 1000. It is a priceless manuscript, as it includes descriptions and drawings of more than thirty ingenious devices including mechanical apparatuses, water clocks, automatic calendars and war machines.
How to host a temporary or permanent exhibition
The auspices of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, has allowed the funding of an entire research group that, after months of work, has given exceptional results. The complexity of the manuscript had prevented many experts from interpreting it. Thanks to the competence and the technology of the Italian research center Leonardo3, the manuscript has, for the first time, been transcribed (in Arabic) and translated (into Italian, English and French). Moreover, all its machines have been interpreted and reconstructed.
All the work that has been presented in a permanent exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, and it was one of its main attractions on the occasion of its inauguration on November 22, 2008. The exhibition presents a digital and interactive reconstruction of the manuscript, explaining all its machines to the public, thanks to tridimensional models animated through a holographic touch screen. Two machines of the Book of Secrets were physically reconstructed: The Fortress Demolisher (Figure 23, f. 35v) and the Clock with Three Characters (Figure 11, f. 21r). An edition including a case with the book (in Arabic, English, French and Italian), a facsimile and a DVD-ROM will help reveal this unique work to the whole world.
The curators of this work are the founders of Leonardo3, Massimiliano Lisa, Mario Taddei and Edoardo Zanon. All the interpretations of the machines are owed to Zanon and Taddei.
The project and the exhibition were funded by the Qatar Museums Authority chaired by Her Excellence Sheika Mayassa bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and directed by Abdulla Al Najjar.
All the work that has been presented in a permanent exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, and it was one of its main attractions on the occasion of its inauguration on November 22, 2008. The exhibition presents a digital and interactive reconstruction of the manuscript, explaining all its machines to the public, thanks to tridimensional models animated through a holographic touch screen. Two machines of the Book of Secrets were physically reconstructed: The Fortress Demolisher (Figure 23, f. 35v) and the Clock with Three Characters (Figure 11, f. 21r). An edition including a case with the book (in Arabic, English, French and Italian), a facsimile and a DVD-ROM will help reveal this unique work to the whole world.
The curators of this work are the founders of Leonardo3, Massimiliano Lisa, Mario Taddei and Edoardo Zanon. All the interpretations of the machines are owed to Zanon and Taddei.
The project and the exhibition were funded by the Qatar Museums Authority chaired by Her Excellence Sheika Mayassa bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and directed by Abdulla Al Najjar.
Curators and chief scientific advisors Massimiliano Lisa Mario Taddei Edoardo Zanon Interpretation and reconstruction of machines Mario Taddei Edoardo Zanon Co-ordination Massimiliano Lisa Three-dimensional reconstructions Giuseppe Canino Emanuele Degli Antoni Mario Taddei Edoardo Zanon Physical models Mario Taddei Edoardo Zanon Alessandro Pettazzi Alessandro Vivaldi Original texts Hocine Benchina Soha Bayoumi Jolanda Guardi Massimiliano Lisa Ahmed Ragab Mario Taddei Edoardo Zanon |
Italian translations and edition in Arabic Jolanda Guardi Hocine Benchina English translations Ahmed Ragab English editing and proofreading Chris Ashcraft Soha Bayoumi French translations Ahmed Ragab Soha Bayoumi French editing and proofreading Matthieu Fintz Pauline Chetcuti Alexandra Hagondokoff Thibaud Smerko Digital photography of the manuscript Roberto Bigano Software visual design Mario Taddei Edoardo Zanon Software production and montage Antonio Buonarota Emanuele Degli Antoni Andrea de Michelis Edoardo Zanon |
Video editing and direction Massimiliano Lisa Voice overs in the videos Alain Ghazal James Herron Dario Viganò Sound design (for the software) Emanuele Degli Antoni Antonio Buonarota |
Setup and technologies Leonardo3 Si ringraziano Abdulla Al Najjar - Qatar Museums Authority Maha Al-Hajri - Qatar Museums Authority Franca Arduini - Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana di Firenze |
How to host a temporary or permanent exhibition |