Studying and understanding the Islam world by history students of the Petrozavodsk State University

The article analyzes the impressions and statements of foreign and Russian authors of the late 19th - early 20th centuries about the history and culture of the Muslim world. The importance of original orientalist publications from the rare book reading room collection of the Scientific Library of the Petrozavodsk State University in the study and understanding by student historians of the Islam world is shown.