H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the American University of Sharjah, AUS, has received a replica of the 15th century Voynich Manuscript in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the AUS.

The manuscript, described as "the world’s most mysterious book," was presented to Sheikh Sultan by AUS Chancellor, Dr. Bjorn Kjerfve, at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2017.

Dr. Kjerfve used the occasion to congratulate the founder of AUS, Sheikh Sultan.

"We decided to present Sheikh Sultan with the replica of this rare manuscript in recognition of his unwavering support to this university, which he established 20 years ago as one of the region’s most outstanding universities, offering a world-class, American-accredited education characterised by excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, research and service," Dr. Kjerfve said.

The manuscript is described as the world’s most unusual and mysterious book. Written at the end of the 15th century in Central Europe, it depicts drawings of figures and strange plants, amid still un-deciphered, handwritten text. No one knows for sure who wrote this manuscript or what it means. The text is in a writing system many professional and amateur cryptographers have failed to decipher. The drawings show human figures, more than 100 unidentified plant species, and astronomical and astrological symbols.

The Voynich Manuscript presented to Sheikh Sultan is No. 91 of 898 replicas being produced by the Spanish publishing house, Siloe. Slightly bigger than a paperback, the book contains more than 200 pages, including several large fold-outs. Every stain, hole and sewn-up tear in the original manuscript is reproduced in the replica. The paper used is made from a paste developed by the company and given a special treatment so that it feels like the parchment used to write the original.

Earlier this month, AUS started a series of events planned throughout the year in celebration of its 20th anniversary. It was recently named among the world’s top 60 institutions under 50 years old by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings for 2018 and was the only institution in the United Arab Emirates to achieve a 4-star rating. Over the past 20 years, AUS alumni have pursued graduate studies at top institutions around the world and have become leaders in their respective fields.

Source: Wam