art of the Qurʼan, The
Book Description
The Art of the Quran opens a window into the sacred artistry that has transformed Islam's holy text into breathtaking works of visual beauty across thirteen centuries. This remarkable volume emerges from a groundbreaking exhibition, presenting an unprecedented collection of Quranic manuscripts from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts alongside treasures from the Smithsonian's renowned galleries.
Within these pages, readers discover how devoted artisans elevated divine revelation into sublime art through masterful calligraphy and intricate illumination. The book traces this spiritual craft from its earliest expressions in seventh-century Umayyad folios through the magnificent productions of the Ottoman and Safavid empires, revealing how each era brought its own aesthetic vision to sacred scripture.
More than seventy carefully selected works tell individual stories of creation, drawing from centuries-old museum records that preserve the names of calligraphers, illuminators, and patrons who dedicated their skills to honoring the divine word. Readers encounter rare manuscripts that span from the medieval Islamic world through Mamluk Cairo to the heights of Persian and Turkish artistic achievement.
The collection includes not only manuscript pages but also the ceremonial objects that surrounded Quranic study, from ornate storage boxes to elegant reading stands. Through full-color reproductions and scholarly insights, this volume demonstrates how spiritual devotion and artistic excellence converged to create some of humanity's most beautiful sacred texts.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~11 hours)
📄 Length: 382 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Turkey, antiquities
- ✓ Explore Manuscripts
- ✓ Explore Illustrations
- ✓ Explore Qur'an
- ✓ Explore Türk ve İslâm Eserleri Müzesi
- ✓ Explore Koran
- ✓ Explore Art
- ✓ Explore Illumination of books and manuscripts, exhibitions
