I was reading an article today about the destruction of Yemen’s literary and artistic heritage.  It is a sad story.  The bombing of the country by Saudi Arabia, as well as years of neglect by its custodians, now mean that Yemen’s rich literary heritage—much of it contained in medieval manuscripts—is facing possible destruction.  I remember hearing the same thing about the medieval manuscripts of Timbuktu in North Africa.

It was an opportunity to reflect on the transitory nature of all things, and of knowledge in particular.

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