Doha – UNESCO added “Al Orjoza fi teb,” the most celebrated work of Andalusian philosopher Ibn Toufail, to its Memory of the World register on Thursday. The 12th-century medical treatise, presented by Morocco, joins 73 other new documentary collections inscribed this year.
“Al Orjoza fi teb is a medical treatise presented as a poem in rajaz form, a genre deeply rooted in the tradition of science learning through its simplicity and musical tone,” explained UNESCO in its announcement.
The comprehensive medical text spans 148 pages containing 7,700 verses that detail diseases, symptoms and treatments with remarkable precision. The encyclopedia-like work is structured into seven articles with multiple chapters systematically classifying human ailments.
The poem covers diseases affecting the head, face, throat, chest and respiratory system, digestive system, intestines, abdomen, kidneys and urinary tract. It also addresses occasional and pathological fevers, as well as external infestations treated in toxicology.
“Documentary heritage is an essential yet fragile element of world memory. UNESCO dedicates a preservation program to it, shares best practices, and maintains this register tracing the broadest pattern of human history,” stated UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
She mapped out examples such as the Chinguetti libraries in Mauritania and the Amadou Hampâté Bâ archives in Côte d’Ivoire.
Ibn Toufail, whose full name is Abu Bakr Muhammad ibnu Abdul Malik Al-Qaysi, died in 1185. He learned medicine in Granada and worked as a judge in Andalusia.
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He also served as a minister during the Almohad dynasty and gained fame for his philosophical tale “Hayy ibn Yaqdhan,” which significantly influenced subsequent Arabic and European literature.
His medical poem aimed to facilitate memorization and transmission of medical knowledge, combining scientific precision with poetic elegance. The text begins with diseases of the head and concludes with those of the feet, covering treatments and remedies throughout.
A rare manuscript of the work is preserved in Fez’s Al-Quaraouiyine library.
UNESCO also inscribed Algeria’s “Al-Qanun fit-Tibb” by Ibn Sina (Avicenna) to the register. A rare copy of the fourth book of this “Canon of Medicine” is housed at Algeria’s National Library. The work had a lasting impact on medical education in both East and West until the 17th century.
With these newest additions, UNESCO’s Memory of the World register now protects 570 documentary collections worldwide.
Established in 1992, the program aims to preserve humanity’s documentary heritage and ensure universal access to these often vulnerable materials, which face risks of degradation and catastrophe.
This year’s inscriptions come from 72 countries and four international organizations, covering topics including scientific revolution, women’s contributions to history, and milestones in multilateralism.
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