Featuring more than 60 of the most important Qur’an manuscripts from Turkey, Afghanistan and the Arab world, this collaboration between the Sackler Gallery and Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul celebrating 1,000 years of calligraphy and illumination is the first major show of Qur’ans in the US. Items range from 8th century Syrian to 17th century Ottoman manuscripts, many on show for the first time outside Turkey.
Visitors can learn the stories behind these extraordinary works, how the Qur’an was transformed from its origins as a spoken book into magnificent manuscripts illuminated by highly skilled artists from all over the Islamic world. These works were cherished by the powerful rulers who ordered them and used as both gifts and to gain religious merit.
Following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1914, many Qur’ans were collected into the Istanbul Museum yet its holdings are little known even to many experts according to Julian Raby director of the Sackler Gallery. This is thus an unparalleled opportunity to appreciate the artistry of Muslim scribes and craftsmen over more than a millennium.
Until 20th February, 2017 at the Arthur Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC, USA
Sackler Gallery and Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul Celebrate 1,000 years of Calligraphy and Illumination is the First Major Show of Qur’ans in the US
