A pioneering digital archive showcasing the extraordinary history of the Middle East is being used by people in 100 countries.
The University of Exeter's Digital Archive of the Middle East (DAME) has become a vital resource for thousands since its launch.
Alongside thousands of documents, maps, photographs and other materials, it tells the history of underrepresented voices overlooked in other collections through the letters and diaries of those who played a prominent role in the region.
The aim of DAME is to preserve endangered cultural heritage and improve people's access to documents previously limited by physical, linguistic or other barriers. Archivists have also worked to train communities in the Middle East to preserve rare materials and create digital collections..
To celebrate DAME's five years of success, a special exhibition is being held at the University of Exeter's Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies which highlights the treasures of the online collection.
DAME has been used by more than 16,000 people since 2023.
The archive is open access, with no passwords, subscriptions or institutional logins. All materials are available for download.
Multilingual access allows communities to search in English, Arabic and Sorani Kurdish.
Project Manager Dr James Downs said: "The heart of the Digital Archive of the Middle East is the story of people and communities. We wanted to show the role of individuals in the transformation of society in the region.
"We are very proud of how accessible DAME is, making it a lasting resource for future scholarship and strengthen international and regional partnerships."
DAME began asa collaboration between the University of Exeter's Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies (IAIS) and Tsinghua University's Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS).
Prominent collections in DAME include archives from "Chris Kutschera", and Omar Sheikhmous.
'Chris Kutschera' was the joint pseudonym used for the freelance publication work of journalist and writer Paul Maubec (1938-2017) and his wife, the photographer Edith Maubec, who worked extensively together in the MENA region from 1970 until the early 21st century. A large part of this time was spent in Kurdistan, where they developed close friendships with both the Talabani-PUK and Barzani-KDP factions, allowing them intimate access to both political movements over several decades. The archive contains both a substantial photographic collection, and over 170 notebooks that contain detailed records of conversations. Sadly, Edith Maubec - who was meant to be attending the exhibition launch - was diagnosed with cancer in the summer and died on 1 October. DAME now includes the Kurdistan-Photolibrary which she established in 2008.
Omar Sheikhmous was a leading figure in Kurdish research and politics. A former KDP member, he was UK Secretary of the Kurdish Society of Students in Europe in the 1960s and a founding member of the PUK in 1975. His archive contains over 10,000 documents in twelve languages, including personal papers, political and historical writings, correspondence with leading Kurdish figures, press cuttings, rare organisational documents, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals, posters, photographs and other primary sources. A large proportion of his collection is now available through DAME's Kurdish Digital Archive.
Also part of DAME is the Poonawala Collection, around 200 manuscripts and lithographs which were collected by Mullā Qurbān Husayn Poonawala and his son, the renowned scholar Professor Ismail K. Poonawala, an international authority in the field of Ismaili studies, and donated to the University of Exeter in 2025.
DAME experts have been working closely with leading Kurdish archival institutes to support the preservation of valuable documents, books, manuscripts, oral histories, photographs, and sound recordings. This work has included bringing together individuals and organisations working in Kurdish cultural heritage and archival preservation, providing technical and practical advice, and sharing digital resources through the DAME website.
This includes support for the Kasım Demiralp Archive in Turkey, an important historic collection of Kurdish papers currently held in a village near Bingöl in Northern Kurdistan which was under threat.
DAME includes materials showing Kurdish women's contributions to intellectual, cultural, and historical life and hundreds of documents, photographs, official government publications, oil industry reports, town plans, maps and other ephemera about the Gulf states, many of them from the mid-twentieth century when large-scale urban development was just beginning.
The exhibition continues in the IAIS Street Gallery until the end of October. All are welcome.
