McGill Libraries, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism for Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), have opened an exhibition celebrating the beauty, history and impact of ancient Islamic manuscripts.
“Golden Ink: The Art and Legacy of Islamic Manuscripts” was timed to coincide with the Abu Dhabi International Conference on Manuscripts, and will run from October 2025 to April 2026 in Abu Dhabi, then in Montreal in winter 2027.
The exhibition features rare manuscripts, including highlights from McGill’s unique collection, and offers a glimpse into centuries of Islamic artistic, scientific and intellectual tradition through calligraphy, illumination, marginalia and lithography.
“The selection process for the pieces was a wonderful exercise that allowed both organizations to rediscover our respective collections, identify the most representative examples for each category and assess their physical condition,” explained Anaïs Salamon, Head of McGill’s Islamic Studies Library and co-curator. “When you plan an exhibition like this one, you aim at taking visitors’ breath away with visual beauty and perfection.”
Highlights from McGill’s collection include an 8th-century Qur’an folio written in Kufic script, a microcalligraphy manuscript where devotional words form intricate patterns and a colourful 1839 atlas reproducing the maps of 10th-century geographer al-Istakhri.
A collective effort
The partnership between McGill and DCT Abu Dhabi grew from connections made by members of the Friends of the Libraries. Both institutions see Golden Ink as the beginning of a new relationship, with potential for future exhibitions in other cities.
“It’s a true collective effort, with shared curatorial leadership, a trilingual catalogue and long-term commitments to future projects. Golden Ink is about showcasing the beauty and knowledge within these manuscripts and fostering genuine cross-cultural understanding,” said Guylaine Beaudry, Dean of Libraries at McGill.
The project is a milestone in more ways than one: it is the first time McGill’s rare manuscripts have left campus since their acquisition.
“This is not a simple loan – you can imagine the logistics and thousands of questions to be answered. The support of our administration – from legal to security services – and that of colleagues from the museum world, has been outstanding,” said Beaudry.
Moving rare and fragile manuscripts across continents is no small feat. Each piece undergoes conservation checks before, during and after travel. Items are transported in specialized packing and displayed in museum-quality cases with controlled temperature and humidity. Pages will also have to be turned midway through the exhibition to limit light exposure.
“Preserving these materials is a collective responsibility,” said Salamon. “It’s especially meaningful to bring some of these works back to their region of origin, even temporarily, and give people whose history is directly connected to them a chance to see and engage with them.”
Looking ahead
When the exhibition comes to Montreal in 2027, it will engage new audiences through programming like class visits, cultural and scientific events and collaborations with other institutions.
To prepare for its arrival, McGill Libraries are inviting donations to help acquire custom display cases and other materials needed to ensure these rare works are both accessible and kept safe.
“By bringing these very rare manuscripts to Abu Dhabi and then home to Montreal in 2027, we’re sharing McGill’s collections with the world, creating opportunities for discovery and dialogue,” said Beaudry. “It’s a very meaningful project and moment for both organizations and one that shows what’s possible when institutions and communities come together.”