Help us to protect our world heritage in texts.
The Canadian Centre for Epigraphic Documents (CCED) is a non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteer information professionals and graduate students in Information Studies.
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HB.01.01
Harrak Umayyad or early Abbasid period: Al-Najaf, Dukakin Caves, Cliff with rock-cut caves located 500 meters west of Ain Sha'ia, some 500 meters from Site B at Ain Sha'iaHA.01.03
Harrak Umayyad period: Al-Najaf, Ain Sha'ia, Archaeological site located 15km to the west of the holy Shiite city of Najaf, Church, near the mud-brick pier wall separating the central from the right-hand aisleHA.01.02
Harrak Umayyad or early Abbasid period: Al-Najaf, Ain Sha'ia, Archaeological site located 15km to the west of the holy Shiite city of Najaf, Church, near the second opeing in the north pier-wall of the churchAbout the CCED
The Canadian Centre for Epigraphic Documents (CCED) was founded in order to archive, catalogue, and digitize epigraphic materials. The digitized images are to be placed online, allowing scholars easy access to these documents.
The Canadian Centre for Epigraphic Documents (CCED) is a non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteer information professionals and graduate students in Information Studies.
Our goal is to become a repository for world inscriptions.
The CCED would be pleased to consider accepting additional collections to add to our online library. Those wishing to donate/make available an epigraphic collection to the Canadian Centre for Epigraphic Documents should contact the CCED before submitting any material.
Many epigraphic texts are in danger of being lost through environment, negligence, or willful destruction. The CCED regularly works with collections that contain only extant copies of deteriorated or now missing inscriptions. To enable us to continue our work conserving and placing rare and endangered documents online, please consider donating to the CCED

Syriac Orthodox Church of Mōr Gīworgīs,
Qaraqōš, Nineveh, Iraq.
Syriac, Garshuni, and Arabic 1866
Destroyed 2006
About Epigraphy
Epigraphy is the study of writings inscribed on durable materials such as stone, terracotta, wood, or metal. Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions.
Inscriptions are primary documents. As such, they provide direct and immediate reference to the culture being studied. Inscriptions yield information on many aspects of society, including religion, literature, art, architecture, politics, social culture, and language.
The very words used in inscriptions sometimes offer meanings and nuances previously unrecognized when given in other contexts. These extended meanings can bring a deeper understanding to literary texts and other documents where the words are used.
Unlike manuscripts, inscriptions provide us with original texts that have not been subject to later editing or revision. They can supply exact details that writers of the time often leave out: the cost of building projects down to the smallest sums, or military expeditions to the man.
Virtually every aspect of ancient life, both public and private, can be found expressed in inscriptions. Through the study of inscriptions our concept of the ancient world evolves and becomes more complete.