From London to Abu Dhabi: Rare books chronicling UAE's past spark curiosity at ADIBF 2025

Al Etihad

02-05-2025

2 May 2025 14:52
TALAH TURK (ABU DHABI)Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) is a gold mine for one-of-a-kind literary finds, and this year's edition showcased rediscovered items that offer an exclusive look into the UAE's fascinating past.With items dating back to the union's earlier days and some even centuries before the country was officially formed, Pom Harrington, owner of Peter Harrington Rare Books in London, was happy to take Aletihad on a tour of their collection. Describing the annual event as the best fair of its kind in the Middle East, Harrington stressed that the UAE is home to some of the bookshop's most important clients.He showcased a rare volume from Theodor de Bry's Little Voyages, published in the German capital, Frankfurt, back in 1601. The book, written in Latin, documents one of the earliest known accounts of a journey through what is now the United Arab Emirates, written by an Italian jeweller and traveller from Venice. Having travelled through the area in the 1580s, his account went down in history as the first time towns and villages of the UAE were named and described in Latin print. The book features an early map mentioning the main cities that would eventually make up the UAE as we know it today. The second item that Harrington shared with pride was the first Arabic edition of a 1973 official map issued by what was known as the 'Documentation and Studies Centre at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs' at the time.Only two years after the union's formation, the rare map was created as a way of taking a unique snapshot of the newly established federation. It details the initial motorway systems, pearling and fishing zones, oil fields in Abu Dhabi, and other cities like Dubai, Sharjah.Harrington highlighted the importance and rarity of the map, saying: 'This map is commercially extremely rare, with only two copies known in university libraries, and it rarely comes on the market.' 'Two Glorious Years in the History of Abu Dhabi' is another important item celebrating the UAE's history. Published in 1968, the text dives into the rapid modernisation led by the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, focusing on the first two years after the UAE was officially formed.'It's amazing what has been achieved in these two years. Within these pages, we have the modern and old history of Abu Dhabi, and how it became what it is today,' Harrington said. Peter Harrington is one of many noteworthy exhibitors at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, offering hard-to-come-by opportunities for collectors and historians alike.
Notably, the fair's 34th edition is ongoing until May 5 at the ADNEC centre in Abu Dhabi.