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Type of site | Reference |
|---|---|
| Available in | Interface: Arabic Content: to be extended to all languages using Arabic script |
| Owner | Marefa Foundation |
| Created by | Nayel Shafei |
| URL | www |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Encouraged |
| Launched | 16 February 2007 |
| Current status | perpetual work-in-progress |
Marefa (in Arabic: المعرفة, lit. 'knowledge') is a not-for-profit online encyclopedia project that uses the wiki system to provide a free Arabic encyclopedia similar to Wikipedia. It was set up by Nayel Shafei on February 16, 2007.[1] Sister projects include Manuscript documentation, Sources, Collaborative books, forums, Blogsphere, E-mail accounts (with unlimited storage), Video/Audio library.
In September, 2007, Marefa received 25,000 manuscripts and old books, in Arabic script, from the Government of India. These are scanned images of books stored in and around Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. The books are in Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Turkish. Marefa started the electronic publishing of them, immediately, and made them available for free. University of North Carolina (UNC) puts Marefa as one of top eight sources for Arabic Manuscripts,[2] with notable global cultural centers of Arabic heritage, like, Süleymaniye Library, Istanbul, and Azhar University, Cairo. Middle East Librarian Association recommends the Marefa to its members, and its cited Marefa's receipt of 25,000 Arabic and Persian books and manuscripts from the Government of India.[3]
- ^ Ghosn, Zeinab (18 October 2007). "Marefa, a free online encyclopedia, to increase digital content, and revive Arabic epistemologic heritage". Assafir (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ "RESOURCES ON PERSIAN AND ARABIC SCRIPTS & MANUSCRIPTS". UNC. October 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ^ Omar Khalidi (2007). "D¯a-irat al-Ma,¯arif al-Uthm¯an¯?yah" (PDF). MELA Notes 80. Retrieved 2008-10-09. [dead link]