ALGIERS – Wednesday, 05 April 2023 (APS) – The Algerian authorities have recovered a rare Islamic manuscript dating back to 1659 which was seized by colonial authorities in 1842, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad Wednesday in a statement.
The ministry “informs Algerians inside and outside the country that the Algerian authorities have succeeded in recovering a rare Islamic manuscript dating back to 1659 which the colonial authorities seized in 1842, after an attack by the French army against the Emir Abdelkader in the mountains of Ouarsenis,” the statement said.
The recovery of this manuscript “of high historical value and great symbolism is the result of the combined efforts of public authorities, under the direct guidance of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, as well as members of our community in France who have mobilized, with a high sense of patriotism, to prevent the sale at auction of this manuscript,” said the statement.
“The Algerian authorities, which highly appreciate this nationalist surge that honors the members of our community abroad, welcome their high nationalist spirit and their attachment to the history of their country and the heritage of their great forefathers. They also recalled that the recovery of this manuscript and its repatriation to the country are part of the tireless efforts and continuous steps that the highest authorities of the country have also made in order to restore all the Algerian heritage looted, for the sake of preserving and safeguarding the national memory.
“This is a supreme goal that has a sovereign dimension and is a top priority among the commitments of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to build a New Algeria faithful to the sacrifices of the shouhadas and the values and principles of the message of November,” said the source.