At the Abu Dhabi Book Fair 2025, not only are books presented, but a unique space is created where visitors can immerse themselves in different eras, engage with cultures that have lived until now on the pages of yellowed paper and photographs that convey eternal images. One of the archives of humanity's memory became a corner with rare exhibits, including maps of the world worth more than three million dirhams. "This year, the exhibition not only introduces visitors to the authorship and encyclopedic productions but also presents a multitude of rare exhibits that reflect the wealth of Arab and human cultural heritage," noted the acting director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, the director of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Said Hamdan at-Tanaji. Among the significant exhibits is a map of the world, one of the rarest and most expensive in history, valued at three million and 200 thousand dirhams, as well as a wide spectrum of collectible items demonstrating interests in cultural events, intellectual and creative heritage of humanity. At the exhibition "Acquisition," one of the oldest and most famous photographs of a ruler of the UAE is presented - a snapshot of ruler Sharjah from 1903, taken by British captain Charles C. Bain, displayed at a price of 250 thousand euros (1 million 38 thousand dirhams). This photograph became a witness to a key moment in the history of the region and is included in a special album of 91 photographs taken by Bain during his service in the Persian Gulf and India. One of the valuable items of the exhibition includes four large maps of the 17th century, created by French cartographer Nicolas de Fer, with a estimated value of three million and 200 thousand dirhams. Visitors are also presented with a rare Dutch marine atlas from 1700 by artist Joannes van Keulen, valued at two million and 700 thousand dirhams, demonstrating the geographical and intellectual importance of the map in understanding the development of the world. In the corner of the manuscripts is a manifestation of Islamic culture in all its beauty: a rare edition of the book "Makāshid al-falāsifah" by Imam Ghazali of the 13th century is estimated at approximately 166 thousand dirhams, while the first edition of the book "A Thousand and One Nights," selected for the exhibition this year, published by Bulak in 1834, is valued at 1 million 250 thousand dirhams, immortalizing a literary journey through the ages.
