Stainless Steel
Boxing Project
Protecting ancient manuscripts for future generations
The objective: To house 2,187 early parchment, Byzantine or Greek-style manuscripts in individual stainless-steel boxes for preservation and protection against the ravages of time, the arid conditions of the desert and the threat of natural disasters.
The Challenge
All 2,187 manuscripts have, until now, been stored vertically, but with the frailty of the manuscripts and their bindings horizontal storage is imperative to their long-term survival.
This storage requires more space, so we had to optimise the use of space within the library for the steel boxes, which together with their lining require much more space than the manuscripts, to be properly stored and indexed. In the Sinai desert, the temperature can fluctuate considerably between night and day.
This meant that the artefacts were subjected to severe changes in temperature, causing a great deal of stress.
The arid conditions of the desert and the presence of airborne particles of granite and silicone have taken their toll on the manuscripts over the years, so the stainless-steel boxes with almost hermetically closing seals, offer a much-needed protection against atmospheric contaminants.
What We Did
- We removed and relocated a large water storage tank situated above the library, eliminating the risk of water damage.
- We re-sited a gas-fired kitchen originally positioned below the library to a different part of the monastic campus, upgrading it to an electric kitchen.
- We created a temporary storage space, according to stringent specifications, to host the manuscripts, safely wrapped and barcoded, whilst the library was being refurbished. We then refurbished the library including structural reinforcement, introducing innovative internal insulation to deliver passive climatic control to stabilise the environment inside the library.
- We then installed a state-of-the-art fire detection system which combined with a non-distractive fire extinguishing system, which deploys inert gasses to purge oxygen and starve the fire, would deal effectively with a fire without causing “lateral” damages.
- We introduced a CCTV surveillance system to support the protection of the contents of the library.
- We then installed an optimal storage configuration to enable us to store 2,187 manuscripts, papyri and numerous old significant printed books horizontally.
- The father’s cells below the library had to be evacuated during the latter’s refurbishment, so 13 abandoned cells had to be refurbished to house the monks whilst work was ongoing.
- The fire defence system in the rest of the monastery had to be upgraded to protect the library from fires in the surrounding buildings.
- This was supplemented by drilling new bore holes outside of the Justinian walls to ensure that there was sufficient water to douse any potential fire.
Only once all this had been done could we even begin to source stainless steel boxes and move the manuscripts from their temporary storage home into their new boxes and back to their rightful positions within the library.
Then the stainless-steel boxes had to be designed and commissioned. With acid-free card lining and activated carbon cloth the packaging was designed to protect from off-gassing, ‘blunting’ the impact of any ambient temperature and humidity changes. The manuscripts are then sandwiched within an inert foam lining to protect from knocks and bumps and to hold the contents in place.
The boxes were designed to open flat to eliminate the risk of tipping and preserve the integrity of the ancient papers as they are accessed and moved, as well as whilst in storage.
The Outcome
Already the ancient manuscripts are substantially safer than they were, particularly from the risk of fire and water damage, and there is now space for them to be stored horizontally within the library. However, the Stainless-Steel Boxing Project has only just begun. The stainless-steel boxes are being made in Greece, and then shipped to Sinai. With each box costing £850, we are ordering the boxes in batches as we manage to raise sufficient funds to protect as many manuscripts as we can as quickly as possible. We have already boxed a number of manuscripts, but there are still plenty to go, so we welcome donations of any value that will help us to guarantee the long-term protection of these historic artefacts.
Because donations are so essential to the completion of this project and the protection of these artefacts, the names of donors will be inscribed within the library forever, as a thank you to those who have made this important piece of preservation possible.
Make a donation
Whether you feel passionate about safeguarding the Monastery and those who live within its walls from the threat of fire, or you wish to contribute to the ongoing preservation of the second most significant collection of Christian manuscripts in the world, you can ensure that 100% of your donation goes to the cause you most believe in.
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