Transcription
[Music] [Music] Good evening. Those who follow the cultural history of Bahrain will find its people were pioneers in acquiring books. People used to buy books and establish private libraries in their homes. From the late 19th century, the first to establish a private library in his home was Sheikh Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. But what was the first commercial library for the public in Bahrain? The first library in Manama was the National Library, and I believe it belonged to the sons of Ibrahim Obaid, and it is located in Bab Al Bahrain Street. The National Library. We are currently in the Manama market, specifically in the Suq Al Tawawish, East Manama. This humble shop today is a jewelry store. This shop housed the first national commercial library in Bahrain, founded by Mohammed Ali Al-Tajer in 1920. This place where we are currently was a primary source and a feeder for thought and culture. Here, writers and intellectuals in Bahrain used to gather to discuss and debate, and many ideas were refined and many ideas cross-pollinated. Merchants also used to gather here, of course, to finalize their commercial deals. Of course, before Al-Tajer, specifically in 1919, there was an attempt to establish a library, or it was established, but it was called a club, and the name "club" was not socially acceptable at that time. [Music] And despite the scarcity of educated people in that early period of the beginning of formal education in Bahrain, the love of reading and acquiring books was their distinctive trait. [Music] This place revealed an important fact: in 1920, education was limited, but this place, the first national commercial library, established in 1920, confirmed the fact that Bahrainis have a remarkable love for reading. This place was also the reason for Bahrainis adopting the hobby of stamp collecting, because the hobby of Mohammed Ali Al-Tajer, the founder of the first national commercial library in Bahrain in 1920, was his second hobby, collecting stamps. And through this place, and through the gatherings that took place there, because those who attended were, of course, the elite and influential people, he was able to spread this hobby, which was a present culture in Bahrain at that time. [Music] And despite the importance of Al-Tajer's library, it ceased to exist with the death of its founder, after it was a source and a beacon of culture for many years in Bahrain, leaving a deep positive impact that pushed forward the march of culture, knowledge, and building in the country. [Music] From the largest land that embraces books, from the Isa Cultural Centre, we come here to try, and through an important guest, to record some important information as well. [Music] Doctor, in the beginning, we are talking about the motivations that led Mohammed Ali Al-Tajer in 1920 to establish the first national commercial library. It is well known, and we have documentation for this aspect, that the establishment of the first commercial library in Bahrain was at the hands of Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al-Tajer. Sheikh Mohammed Ali Al-Tajer, with his father, used to always go to Mumbai, which was then called Bombay, and they traded in pearls, before the beginning of the 20th century. This trade began, and it was not profitable, and its losses exceeded its profits many times. Mohammed Ali Al-Tajer decided to trade in real estate, but the idea came to him in 1920 to open a library for selling books, because there was no library in Bahrain. And every year, he used to go to trade in Bombay and bring back Arabic books, because most Arabic books, including the Holy Quran, were printed there. A large number of books. When the public heard about the opening of the first commercial library, the concept of a commercial library was not even understood, nor were public libraries understood. All the sons of Manama, and then it reached the people of Muharraq and the people of Riffa as well. Doctor, it is important that we record the impacts, which are excellent, from 1920 onwards, the impact resulting from that pioneering step of establishing the first national commercial library. The excellent impact from 1920 to today. How does it manifest, Doctor? Well, you see, the period was, you know, 1920, and immediately after, in 1921, Salman Kamal established a library in Manama, and it was called Al-Kamalia Library. Al-Kamalia Library differed greatly from Al-Tajer's library in that Al-Kamalia Library included many things, for example, scientific books that were not in the library, and some English books were included. But the step that is more important, I imagine, in 1921 was subscribing to a group of newspapers and magazines published in the Arab world. The third, in fact, is called the National Library. You find that Al-Tajer's library stopped with the death of its owner. Al-Kamalia Library stopped with the death of its owner. However, the National Library of Ibrahim Obaid continued until this day. [Music] The impact left by Al-Tajer's library on the thought and conscience of Bahrain is seen as present and continuous through the years. And today, we witness this great interest in reading and the publication of various scientific, literary, and academic books. Each generation comes and confirms the experience of the previous generation. And with every literary achievement, it becomes clear to us that Bahrainis are aware of the importance of reading, culture, and knowledge. The evidence we see currently is that there are sophisticated and advanced books and publications. The biggest witness to our words is the Isa Cultural Centre, which has undertaken the task of collecting the largest and most important cultural sources in the Kingdom, as well as organizing cultural events and supporting thinkers and intellectuals in Bahrain and highlighting them as a civilized face of our beloved Kingdom. [Music]