Tunisia's Muslims explore AI to preserve historic manuscripts
On the Island of Djerba in Tunisia lies the Djerba Library, what has become home to some of the oldest medieval manuscripts of Muslims in Tunisia.
These manuscripts hold the history and culture of families, institutions, and the three main religious communities in Djerba, Sunni Muslims, Ibadi Muslims, and the Jewish community.
After Prophet Muhammad died in 632 AD, the Ibadis who did not agree to his succession were considered Kharijite heretics (holding opinions that differed from the generally accepted views). They fled to remote areas in modern-day Oman, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.
After seeking refuge in places like Tihert (now Tiaret, Algeria) they sought to settle on the Djerba Island.
Many of their manuscripts remained here on the island and remain held in family libraries today although some of them were sold or exchanged.
However, these artefacts face threats from both human and environmental factors including harsh weather conditions.
The remaining scripts in the library are protected by ozone generators which purify the air and remove airborne particles and mold to minimise deterioration.
74-year-old librarian and member of the Islamic offshoot Ibadism Said al-Barouni has taken up the task of preserving the remnants of his family's six-generation library and the remaining Ibadi manuscripts.
al-Barouni has resorted to scanning the manuscripts to record digital copies which can be preserved for future purposes. He believes it's "today's only solution" to preserve the old texts.
"Look at what Djerba's humidity has done to this one," he was quoted as saying as he held a tarnished piece of paper in his gloved hand.
AFP reports that due to the complexity of old Arabic cursive for modern readers, Barouni has started using Zinki, an AI software designed to read and simplify ancient texts.
Feras Ben Abid, a London-based Tunisian software engineer and founder of Zinki, says the tool provides access to numerous manuscripts that the average reader cannot understand.
It is also a way to "change misconceptions some have had on certain topics", he was quoted as saying.
The Djerba library holds over 1,600 ancient Ibadi texts and books on various topics, including astrology and medicine, dating from as early as 1357.
