The library of the Karakallos Monastery contains 331 manuscript codices (bound books) dating from the 9th to the 18th centuries, and 400 others from the 19th century onwards. The books were skilfully created by calligraphers, usually on parchment foils (i.e. treated animal skin, usually sheepskin). They were always considered to be rare and precious objects because of the cost of the materials, the effort and the skill required of the calligrapher, and also because there were not many scriptoria (i.e. the rooms set aside for the writing of manuscripts) in which to produce them. In the Karakallos Monastery, however, there was such a scriptorium.
