Iran Gifts Islamic Books to Turkey's Presidential Library
According to the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, Mahmoud Sedqizadeh, they were gifted in a meeting between the Iranian cultural attaché in Ankara and Han Tughlu, head of the library.
They also discussed developing mutual cooperation at the meeting.
The books include a collection of Dehkhoda Dictionary, Encyclopedia Islamica, Encyclopedia of Shia Islam, Encyclopedia of the Muslim World and some other literary, historical and religious reference books.
Introducing the activities of the library, the Turkish official said that it is the largest library in Turkey located inside the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
The Library is 125,000 square meters in area and can accommodate up to 5,000 readers at a time.
He added that the board of directors of Turkey’s public libraries decided in 2017 to establish a library to collect electronic copies of rare books and manuscripts.
The Nation’s Library of the Presidency, also referred to as the Presidential Library by common people has a collection of over four million books in 134 different languages, and 120 million articles and reports.
The Presidential Library, which has the largest incipient collection in the world, was officially inaugurated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on February 20, 2020. In addition to receiving a copy of materials printed in the country, as a depository library, the Presidential Library also receives books, in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry, from every country where Turkey has a diplomatic mission.
Referring to the importance of Iranian reference books, the director of the Turkish library expressed readiness to cooperate with Iranian libraries to exchange experts and books and manuscripts.
The Iranian official said in his turn that the cultural center is also ready to provide the library with more Iranian reference books.
