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Pascal has a post about the Deir Mar Youhana press in his blog, with some wonderful photographs of Arabic punches, type moulds, etc.
http://29letters.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/the-first-arabic-press/
7 Jan 2009 — 9:15am
Just to clarify, I have am posting part of Pascal's post to ATypi list here:
"after this debate about the dates i have changed the title of the article from
The First Arabic printing press in Lebanon & The Middle East
to
The First Arabic printing press in Lebanon
referring to pages 65-67 in the "Arabic Typography" book.
1702 Aleppo press
1706 first book printed in Aleppo by "AL Zakher"
1727 turkish arabic press in Istanbul
1733 "Al Zakher" printing press in lebanon, who moved from aleppo and came to found the press ..."
-Saad