“Horsemanship,” published by the King Abdulaziz Public Library in both Arabic and English editions, is considered one of its richest books. It contains a wealth of information and historical accounts about Arabian horses and horsemanship, as well as hundreds of heritage images, inscriptions, and sculptures filled with artistic elements and features depicting Arabian horses.

The book, prepared by a committee consisting of 19 prominent figures, scholars, and specialists, was divided into two large volumes. Cultural and photographic materials were also contributed by centers, museums, and libraries from 17 Arab and foreign countries. The editorial work and supervision of the content were undertaken by Dr. Shihab Al-Sarraf, David Alexander, and a large number of researchers from Spain, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands, the United States, and Greece.

The first volume contains 29 scholarly articles and contributions prepared by a distinguished group of academics specializing in the history of horses from around the world. The second volume is an illustrated catalogue of historical artifacts, paintings, and documents that had not previously been documented.

The book, which consists of 566 pages, contains a rare collection of artistic miniatures depicting horses in travel, battles, and wars, as well as in the desert and various other settings. These miniatures pay remarkable attention to even the smallest details and features.

The miniatures appear on pages 104–139 in a chapter entitled “The Literature of Horsemanship in the Abbasid and Mamluk Periods,” written by Dr. Shihab Al-Sarraf. The chapter includes 18 diverse miniatures in which their artists documented and depicted various aspects of horses and scenes of horsemanship. The first miniature portrays a horseman wielding a sword and shield while riding a powerful galloping horse. The image is taken from the book “Nihayat al-Su’al wa al-Umniyah” by Al-Aqsarai, from a copy dated 767 AH and preserved at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin.

The miniatures depict horses in various colors, including brown and black, as well as different forms of combat practiced by horsemen. They illustrate variations in techniques, including combat with swords, spears, and arrows, striking the target during training, practicing the use of the mace, and struggles involving horses.

The King Abdulaziz Public Library possesses a large number of manuscripts and books containing examples of this rich Arab-Islamic artistic tradition: the art of miniatures and decorative illustration, which relies on drawings, ornaments, and embellishments accompanying books and written texts. Miniatures are distinguished by their precise drawing, coloring, and variety of images and calligraphic styles, as well as their multicolored decorative margins, patterns, and figures. This was an art in which numerous skilled calligraphers and artists excelled during earlier Islamic periods, using it to adorn books and manuscripts.