Abstract The Bodleian Library hosts one of the most important collections of Arabic manuscripts in Europe but most of them are unpublished or remain widely understudied. This article discusses the Arabic illuminated manuscripts produced in 14th- and 15th-century Egypt and Bilād al-Shām identified in this institution and aims to highlight their production context and material characteristics. The study of these manuscripts also gives an insight into the main phases and codicological features of the arts of the book during the Mamluk period.