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Chester Beatty Library facts for kids

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Chester Beatty Library
ChesterBeattyLibaryFrount.jpg
Entrance
Established 1953
Location Dublin Castle, Dublin
Type Art Museum, Library, Visitor Attraction
Key holdings Chester Beatty Papyri
Collections East Asian, Islamic, Western
Collection size approx 25,000
Visitors 350,000 (2018)
Founder Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
Public transit access Luas, Dublin Bus, DART

The Chester Beatty, also known as the Chester Beatty Library, is a cool museum and library located in Dublin, Ireland. It first opened its doors in 1953. The museum was created to hold the amazing collections of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, who was a very successful mining businessman.

The current museum building, found within the historic Dublin Castle grounds, opened on February 7, 2000. This date was special because it was Sir Beatty's 125th birthday! Just two years later, in 2002, the Chester Beatty was named the European Museum of the Year.

Inside the museum, you'll find its collections displayed in two main galleries. These are called "Sacred Traditions" and "Arts of the Book". Both galleries show off old manuscripts, tiny paintings, prints, drawings, and rare books. They also feature some decorative art pieces from different parts of the world. These include items from Persian, Islamic, East Asian, and Western cultures.

The Chester Beatty is a top spot for learning about both the Old and New Testaments. It holds one of the most important collections of Western, Islamic, and East & South East Asian artifacts. The museum also has special temporary exhibitions. Many of these shows include artworks borrowed from other museums and collections around the world. You can see some truly priceless items here. These include one of the few remaining volumes of the first illustrated Life of the Prophet. Another incredible piece is the Gospel of Mani, which is one of the last surviving Manichaean scriptures. Many old writings from the Medinet Madi library are also kept at the Chester Beatty Library.

Explore the Collections

The Chester Beatty has about 25,000 items! These are grouped into different collections based on where they come from. Let's take a look at some of the main ones.

Western Treasures

The Western Collection is home to many beautiful illuminated manuscripts. These are old books with colorful drawings and decorations. You can also find rare printed books and old master prints and drawings here. The Christian items in this collection come from many different places and cultures. They include biblical texts written in languages like Armenian, Greek, Latin, and Syriac.

The museum has one of the largest collections of papyri in the world. Papyri are ancient papers made from plants. Some of the oldest Christian artifacts still existing are papyrus books found here. These include Papyrus 45 and Papyrus 46. This collection also has almost all of the ancient Egyptian love songs ever found!

Islamic Art and Writings

The Islamic Collection is divided into several parts. These include Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Mughal-Era Indian items. You can also find many different versions of the Qur'an, which is the holy book of Islam.

The Arabic texts cover many topics. These include religion, history, medicine, and even math and astronomy. The museum also has some of the most beautiful miniature paintings from imperial Mughal albums. These albums are called Muraqqa'. Important paintings from the Late Shah Jahan Album and the Minto Album are here. You can often see the Ibn al-Bawwab Qur'an on display. It was copied by one of the most famous Islamic calligraphers (people who write beautifully) from the Middle Ages.

Persian Miniatures

The Persian collection features many miniature paintings. It also has manuscripts of famous Persian poets. These include Ferdowsi and Nizami.

East Asian Wonders

The East Asian Collection has one of the biggest collections of carved snuff bottles. These are tiny, often very detailed bottles used for snuff (a type of tobacco). Many of them are featured in a special book about the collection.

This collection also includes amazing Japanese art. For example, there's a pair of long picture-scrolls. These were painted in the 17th century by a famous artist named Kanō Sansetsu.

Collection highlights

Source:

Arabic collection

Armenian collection

Biblical papyri collection

Burmese collection

Chinese collection

Coptic collection

Egyptian Papyrus collection

Ethiopian collection

Hebrew collection

Indian collection

Indian (non-Mughal) collection

Islamic collection

Japanese collection

Papyrus collection

Persian collection

Syriac collection

Thai collection

Tibetan collection

Turkish collection

Western collection

Western Miscellaneous collection

Western Prints and Drawings collection

Others

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Biblioteca Chester Beatty para niños

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