Ahmad Monzavi Information

Ahmad Monzavi (1925, Samarra – December 11, 2015, Tehran) was an Iranian writer and researcher in Islamic studies. He was the second son of Agha Bozorg Tehrani, a renowned bibliographer and scholar of Islamic texts.

Monzavi is best known for his cataloging of Persian manuscript collections, particularly his two-volume catalog of the Persian manuscripts at the Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia, for which he was awarded Iran’s Book of the Year Award in 2006.

Life and Career
Ahmad Monzavi spent 16 years living in Pakistan before returning to Iran in 1990. During his career, he played a crucial role in bibliographic and manuscript studies, serving as the head of the Bibliography and Cataloging Department at the Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia (CGIE). His work significantly contributed to the documentation and preservation of Persian literary and historical texts.

Publications and Contributions
Ahmad Monzavi was a leading figure in the field of Persian manuscript cataloging, compiling numerous critical bibliographic works, including:

Catalog of Persian Manuscripts
Index of Persian Books (Fehrestvareh-ye Ketabhaye Farsi)
Union Catalog of Persian Manuscripts in Pakistan
Union Catalog of Persian Manuscripts on Quranic Sciences in Iran
Catalog of Manuscripts in the Malek National Library and Museum
Catalog of Manuscripts in the Ganj Bakhsh Library, Pakistan
Sa’di Based on Pakistani Manuscripts
Jang-e Morteza Qoli Shamlu – A critical edition of a 17th-century Persian manuscript (1069 AH / 1658 CE), published as a facsimile edition in collaboration with Iraj Afshar (2003, Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia).
Death
Ahmad Monzavi passed away in Tehran on December 11, 2015, at the age of 90. His lifelong dedication to Persian manuscripts and bibliographic scholarship remains invaluable to researchers and scholars of Islamic and Persian studies.