Qur'anic Manuscripts

Description

'Multiple Qur’anic manuscripts include various calligraphic scripts in numerous geographical areas. A ninth- century North African Qur’anic manuscript was written in gold Kufic calligraphy on indigo-dyed parchment. It has been described as resulting in ‘overwhelming effect’ (Canby, April 2012). ‘A copy of the Qur’an was made, probably in the twelfth century. The text was written in the New Abbasid in cursive style. The codex opens with the inscription that the Qur’an is God’s word uncreated’ (Walters Art Museum). A fourteenth century Central Asia folio replaced the Kufic of earlier Qur’an (Canby, April 2010). Three lines of the text [written in non-Kufic] fill the present page enclosed in multiple colors outlined ruled margin (ibid.). A fifteenth century Mamluk manuscript demonstrates three lines of the text [non-Kufic] with no outlined margin. The chapter title is surrounded by golden frame' (Faqeer, 2016). 

 

Some Manuscripts

14^th century central Asia manuscript

 

Mamluk era manuscript

 

India manuscript

Yemen manuscript

 

 

Sulawesi Qur’an

 

 

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'‘The earliest writing form was written on clay tablets. It developed from the culture of the culture of the Sumerians in Mesopotamia. Existing Purely pictographic signs to express ideas were improved to represent not the picture but their sound. That improvement has been called the massive leap of humankind’ (Finkel, 2016). 

‘Early calligraphic inscription included Chinese and Japanese script, and illuminated bibles from north-west Europe’ (Victoria and Albert Museum). Calligraphic inscription was inscribed on the Dome of The Rock in Jerusalem built in AD 691 (ibid.).

‘The Nabateans [seventh century] - Hellenized, produced rock inscriptions…’ (James, April 2012). ‘A linen fragment from the 10^th or 11^th century Egypt demonstrates the words ‘In the Name of God’ woven in yellow wool’ (James, April 2012). Forms of inscriptions were found in 10^th century ceramics from the Samarkand area … [and] architecture [in Iraq and Egypt]’ (James, April 2012). ‘The principles of the calligraphic art [within manuscripts] can be described in a scientific manner and carefully explained’ (ibid.). ‘Early Kufic script reflects the classical period in which it was produced’ (James, April 2012). ‘… [A] local Iranian from [of script] …becomes incredibly complex, convoluted … to the inexperienced eye…was largely confined to the 19^th century Iran…perhaps reflected the political and social convolutions of the time.’ (James, April 2012). Fifteenth century Egypt Mamluk era manuscripts constitute a valuable content to Mamluk period literature.  ‘Information can be used to create order and structure.’ (Al-Khalili, 2016)' (Faqeer, 2016).