35,000 to 40,000 manuscripts are preserved in traditional libraries in the south of the country, in addition to 5,000 others identified at the National Library in Algiers (BN), Minister of Culture Azzedine Mihoubi said on Tuesday in Algiers.
Speaking to the National Radio Channel one, Mihoubi added that it was impossible at the moment to know the exact number of manuscripts preserved in the traditional libraries in the south but experts in collaboration with the owners of these libraries were working to determine it.
The environment in the South region "is more adequate" to keep these manuscripts, especially in the provinces of El Bayadh, Béchar, Adrar and Timimoune, said Mihoubi.
He also called on the owners of these libraries to collaborate with the specialized teams in the maintenance, the census and the digitization of these manuscripts.
Mihoubi also said that the law 04/98 on the protection of the cultural heritage "is in final phase" and provides special provisions for the treatment of manuscripts.
