The Royal Library | المَكْتَبَةُ المَلَكِيَّةُ
"A princess builds the greatest library in Arabia to preserve knowledge for eternity"
المَكْتَبَةُ المَلَكِيَّةُ
The Royal Library
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: الأَمِيرَةُ العالِمَةُ
Chapter One: The Scholar Princess
كانَتِ الأَمِيرَةُ رَيَّا ابْنَةَ السُّلْطانِ الوَحِيدَةَ. لَمْ تُحِبَّ المُجَوْهَراتِ وَلا الحَفَلاتِ، بَلْ أَحَبَّتِ الكُتُبَ!
Princess Rayya was the Sultan's only daughter. She did not love jewelry or parties, but loved books!
قَرَأَتْ كُلَّ ما فِي القَصْرِ مِنْ مَخْطُوطاتٍ. قالَتْ لِأَبِيها: «يا أَبَتِ، المَعْرِفَةُ تَتَبَعْثَرُ وَتَضِيعُ. يَجِبُ أَنْ نَجْمَعَها فِي مَكانٍ واحِدٍ!»
She read all manuscripts in the palace. She told her father: "Father, knowledge is scattered and lost. We must gather it in one place!"
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: المَشْرُوعُ العَظِيمُ
Chapter Two: The Great Project
وافَقَ السُّلْطانُ. أَرْسَلَتْ رَيَّا رُسُلاً إِلى كُلِّ أَنْحاءِ العالَمِ يَشْتَرُونَ الكُتُبَ وَيَنْسَخُونَها.
The Sultan agreed. Rayya sent messengers to all parts of the world buying and copying books.
جاءَتْ كُتُبٌ مِنْ بَغْدادَ وَدِمَشْقَ وَالقاهِرَةِ وَقُرْطُبَةَ. كُتُبٌ فِي الطِّبِّ وَالفَلَكِ وَالأَدَبِ وَالدِّينِ وَالفَلْسَفَةِ.
Books came from Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, and Cordoba. Books on medicine, astronomy, literature, religion, and philosophy.
بَنَتْ مَبْنًى ضَخْمًا بِجِوارِ المَسْجِدِ الكَبِيرِ، مِنَ الرُّخامِ الأَبْيَضِ وَالخَشَبِ المَنْقُوشِ.
She built a huge building beside the great mosque, of white marble and carved wood.
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: إِرْثُ الخُلُودِ
Chapter Three: The Legacy of Immortality
افْتُتِحَتِ المَكْتَبَةُ لِلْجَمِيعِ: لِلْغَنِيِّ وَالفَقِيرِ، لِلرَّجُلِ وَالمَرْأَةِ، لِلْعُمانِيِّ وَالغَرِيبِ.
The library opened to all: rich and poor, man and woman, Omani and foreigner.
قالَتْ رَيَّا فِي يَوْمِ الاِفْتِتاحِ: «المَعْرِفَةُ نُورٌ، وَالنُّورُ لا يُحْبَسُ. كُلُّ مَنْ يَطْلُبُ العِلْمَ، فَلْيَدْخُلْ!»
Rayya said on opening day: "Knowledge is light, and light is not confined. Whoever seeks knowledge, let them enter!"
ظَلَّتِ المَكْتَبَةُ مَنارَةَ عِلْمٍ قُرُونًا، وَرَيَّا سُمِّيَتْ «أُمَّ الكُتُبِ»، وَذِكْراها لا تَزالُ حَيَّةً.
The library remained a beacon of knowledge for centuries, and Rayya was named "Mother of Books," her memory still alive.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End