Manuscript conservator Haneen Al-Amassi collects documentary materials from the rubble of a site destroyed in an airstrike in Gaza.CHEONGJU CITY
Palestinian manuscript experts working in the Gaza Strip have been named recipients of this year’s Unesco/Jikji Memory of the World Prize, according to the Cheongju city government on Tuesday.
Palestinian manuscript scholar Abdul Latif Abu Hashim and conservator Haneen Al-Amassi were selected as this year’s recipients of the award by Unesco headquarters.
The international prize honors the significance of the “Jikji” — the world’s oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type, which was produced in a Buddhist temple in Cheongju in 1377.
Unesco established the prize in 2004, and the city of Cheongju sponsors it through the Korean government. It is awarded every two years to recognize individuals, institutions and nongovernmental organizations that have contributed to preserving documentary heritage around the world.
Now in its 11th edition, the prize is being awarded to individuals for the first time.
After the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October 2023, Abu Hashim and Al-Amassi formed an emergency response team to protect documentary heritage in Gaza, according to the Korean city government.
Palestinian manuscript scholar Abdul Latif Abu Hashim works to preserve an ancient manuscript.CHEONGJU CITY
Their work included salvaging rare manuscripts, handwritten documents, copies of the Quran and historical works from the bomb-damaged Omari Mosque library. They moved the materials to a safe location, and some were digitized using a contactless scanner.
“The two recipients have continued to rescue and restore endangered manuscripts even under the most difficult circumstances,” a Cheongju city official said. “Their efforts have kept documentary heritage threatened by war and disaster from disappearing and preserved it for generations to come.”
The duo has preserved and digitized more than 258 manuscripts in Gaza, amounting to roughly 25,000 pages.
A rare manuscript recovered from the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza after it was destroyed in an airstrikeCHEONGJU CITY
A record 58 nominations — from Unesco member states — were formally submitted for this year’s prize. An international advisory committee selected Abu Hashim and Al-Amassi as the final recipients.
Starting this year, the prize money rose from $30,000 to $40,000.
This year’s prize will be presented on Friday during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Jikji Festival, which coincides with Sept. 4 Jikji Day.
Previous laureates include the National Library of the Czech Republic, the Phonogrammarchiv of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the National Archives of Malaysia, the National Archives of Australia, the American University in Cairo and the National Library of Indonesia.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
