Arabic Palaeography: lights and shadows

When studied with a palaeographic method, the Arabic script can become a precious historical source, whether it appears on manuscripts, papyri, or coins. Arabic palaeography is not limited to codices, nor to Arabic-Islamic manuscripts, but also includes Arabic-Christian materials. Additionally, digraphic and bilingual texts—in Greek and Arabic or Latin and Arabic—offer ideal meeting points for specialists of diverse linguistic and palaeographic skills. This presentation aims to describe the results achieved by palaeographical research on Arabic manuscript production and to highlight the possibilities of the synergic investigation of varied handwritten objects. It will also identify some terminological misuses in historical, literary, and religious studies scholarship that reflect a basic ignorance of palaeography. Lastly, it will argue for a more solid teaching system for palaeography since cultivating new generations of scholars aware of the methods and objectives of the discipline is essential for it to get the scientific recognition it deserves.