Embassy of the United States

Programs & Events

Ambassador Allen (far right) tours collection of 14th century Islamic manuscripts preserved and digitized with USG cultural preservation grant

American Cultural Center Ramadan Celebration

On September 28, 2006, the U.S. Embassy marked the beginning of Ramadan with a program celebrating U.S./Nigerien partnership in preserving Niger’s Islamic patrimony. In 2004, Niger’s Institute of Human Sciences Research (IRSH) received a grant from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation to preserve and maintain an endangered collection of 4,000+ Islamic manuscripts, which date from the 14th and 15th centuries. The grant provided computer equipment and software to digitize the documents, so that they could be studied without further damage to the originals.

Ambassador Allen visited IRSH for a tour of the project and an update on its progress. This morning visit was followed by an afternoon program and iftar at the American Cultural Center (ACC) featuring the project’s director, Dr. Moulaye Hassane, who gave an audio-visual presentation detailing the successes of the preservation effort.