The move is regarded as one of the largest manuscript preservation initiatives in the region.

The collection, gathered over decades by the Noor International Microfilm Center, includes manuscripts preserved digitally and on microfiches and is expected to illuminate previously undocumented chapters of Iran’s historical record.

An ISC official at the handover ceremony said manuscripts collected from Iran and abroad form a key pillar of the institute’s expanding databases, underscoring the long-standing cultural and historical ties between Iran and India.

“Iranians ruled or carried out cultural activities in India for nearly 800 years. During that period, Persian was the scientific and administrative language of the subcontinent,” the official said, noting that vast archives from that era have survived.

The manuscripts were collected under the supervision of Mehdi Khajehpiri, founder of the Noor International Microfilm Center, and are now consolidated at ISC to provide broad access for researchers across Iran and the wider Islamic world.

“These documents will be indexed and coded to ensure full accessibility for scholars,” the official said, adding that the initiative aligns with ISC’s growing role in digital humanities and research infrastructure.

Speaking at the ceremony, Khajehpiri emphasized the urgency of preservation, warning that centuries-old Persian documents in Indian archives—particularly in the Telangana region—had suffered extensive damage from insects and environmental exposure.

“We have digitized more than 10 million Persian manuscripts from India, including at least 100,000 that no longer exist in physical form,” he said.

Khajehpiri cited persistent access challenges, including restricted monastery libraries, but said sustained negotiations had enabled thousands of manuscripts to be digitized. He added that the center has restored some 80,000 manuscripts at Iran’s Astan-e Quds Razavi library complex.

Among the newly transferred materials are previously unknown documents relating to Iran’s historical claims in the Persian Gulf, regional trade networks and political relations during the Qajar era, he said.

Established in 2008 and approved during a meeting of Islamic countries’ higher education officials in Baku, Azerbaijan, ISC operates as an independent research institute under Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.

Today, ISC serves Islamic countries across five regions, indexing academic journals, evaluating scientific output, ranking universities and producing science and technology reports aimed at strengthening research cooperation across the Islamic world.