Between 639 and 642 AD, Egypt was conquered by Arab armies. Over the following decades, the caliphs, the “successors of the messenger of God”, extended their sphere of influence as far as Persia and Southern Spain. The Arab conquests and the spread of Islam represent a decisive turning point in world history.
The Austrian National Library archives include hundreds of objects that show both the multiple aspects of ancient winegrowing and the consumption of wine as well as the cultural and social changes that are reflected in the production and enjoyment of wine. The most remarkable exhibits can be seen in the new special exhibition in the Papyrus Museum, “In vino veritas. Wine in ancient Egypt”.
The special exhibition at the Papyrus Museum at the Austrian National Library tells of the long journeys made by knowledge: antique papyri and mediaeval manuscripts document the often arduous but exciting routes that texts have travelled over many centuries.