From the House of Wisdom to Expo 2020 Dubai

Abstract

This short note recounts the challenges and processes followed to display the oldest surviving Arabic scientific text at Expo 2020 Dubai in the Holy See Pavilion. This palimpsest manuscript, Vat. sir. 623. pt. 2, contains a translation from the Greek of Theon of Alexandria’s introduction to Ptolemy’s Handy Tables, undertaken in the 8th/9th century at the so-called “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad.