Second National Symposium on Zawiyas and Manuscripts, Batna

The Second National Symposium on Zawiyas and Manuscripts in the Aurès and its extension into eastern Algeria will be held on 2 and 3 December 2026 at the main public library "Mohamed Hamouda Ben Saci" in Batna. The symposium is held under the high patronage of the Minister of Culture and the Arts, Dr Malika Bendouda, and under the supervision of the Wali of Batna, Mr Ben Ahmed Riad, after the approval of the Directorate of Books and Public Reading at the Ministry of Culture and the Arts.

The event focuses on the historical and scholarly importance of zawiyas (Islamic religious lodges) and manuscripts in the Aurès region and its extension into eastern Algeria. The stated aim is to highlight their place in the national memory and cultural identity, to encourage scientific research in the editing, cataloguing and publication of manuscripts, and to open wider opportunities for researchers to study the heritage of the area.

Preparations were discussed at a preparatory meeting held at the main library on Wednesday 14 October 2026. The meeting was chaired by Ms Zouadi Chahrazed, president of the symposium and director of the main public library in Batna.

It was attended by the two heads of the scientific committee, Professor Dr Aoufi Abdelkrim and Dr Smaier Mohamed El Id, together with heads of departments and sections of the library, the organising committee, and academics and cultural figures from Batna, including Professor Dr Tarek Thabet, head of a research laboratory on intellectual and literary heritage in Algeria at the University of Batna 1, and Mr Adel Balla, the provincial secretary of the Union of Algerian Writers in Batna.

The symposium is part of wider efforts to preserve and promote Algeria's manuscript heritage and to pass the cultural memory on to future generations.

Details of the programme, registration and admission were not given in the sources.