The Bibliotheca Alexandrina received Al-Mahmal Al-Sharif (The Honorable Hodge), donated by Lord Yashar Hassan Helmy, in a celebration held on Wednesday, 7 July 2021. It was attended by a number of officials, including General Mohammed El-Sherif, Governor of Alexandria, and H.E Ambassador Youssef bin Saleh Al-Qahra, Consul General of Saudi Arabia in Alexandria, together with a host of representatives of Al-Azhar and the Coptic Church.
Dr. Moustafa Elfeki, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, was immensely pleased with this donation, highlighting the fact that Lord Yashar Hassan Helmy had previously donated the Kiswah of the Ka’abah to the Library, which attracts the attention of many BA visitors.
The celebration also included a presentation given by Dr. Shereen El-Kabbani, Senior Researcher at the BA, on the history, significance, and value of Al-Mahmal Al-Sharif.
It is worth mentioning that Al-Mahmal Al-Sharif is covered with several pieces of cloth, decorated with Quranic verses and carried on a special camel as part of the hajj caravans.