Basra
The al-Abbasiyya Library is the family library of the Bash A'yan, one of Basra's oldest notable families, who trace their descent to the Abbasid caliph…
The al-Abbasiyya Library is the family library of the Bash A'yan, one of Basra's oldest notable families, who trace their descent to the Abbasid caliph al-Mustadi'. Family tradition holds that its first books were brought down the river from Baghdad by Abbasid princes who settled in Basra in the 6th century AH, and over the following centuries the collection grew into one of the most important private libraries in southern Iraq, with thousands of printed books and a large body of Arabic manuscripts. The library is kept in the family's old house in Old Basra, close to the Shanashil houses and the Kawaz mosque, which local sources also connect with the family. Its history and manuscripts are described in a 2007 study by Ahmad Burhan al-Din Bash A'yan. It is open on weekday mornings, Sunday to Thursday.