Oriental Manuscripts and Papyri

The Oriental Manuscript Collection includes manuscripts in the Arabic, Persian and Turkish languages, as well as papyri.

The basis of the collection is the material that the scientific explorer and Orientalist scholar G.A. Wallin (1811-1852) acquired from Cairo for the University of Helsinki. Wallin's own materials contain his personal archives. The Finno-Ugrian Society's deposit in the library includes diaries and other materials from C.G.E. Mannerheim's (1867-1951) Asia trip. These may be used only with the Society's permission. The use of the material is agreed separately with the manuscript unit.

Literature and catalogues:

• Aro, Jussi (1958). Die arabischen, persischen und türkischen Handschriften der Universitätsbibliothek zu Helsinki. Helsinki.
• Frösén, Jaakko et al. (toim) (1986). Papyri Helsingienses. I. Commentationes humanarum litterarum 80.
• Halén, Harry (1978). Handbook of Oriental Collections in Finland. Scandinavian Institute of Asian studies, Monograph series 31.
• Halén, Harry (2005). Tatarica. Suomen volganturkkilaisen yhteisön julkaisuja ja niihin liittyvää aineistoa. Julkaisematon moniste. Kansalliskirjaston käsikirjoituskokoelmien luettelo nro 666, Helsinki.

Further information:
kk-ms@helsinki.fi
Tel. 191 22712, 191 22711