The Holy Quran Academy in Sharjah has added a rare collection of antique Quran manuscripts dating as far back as the eighth century to its archives.
The new collection includes 17 rare artefacts, made up of manuscripts and complete Qurans, dating back to the Mamluk, Timurid and Ottoman eras.
Sherzad Abdul Rahman Taher, secretary general of the Holy Quran Academy, said the acquisition was part of ongoing efforts to grow the collection at the academy, which is now home to one of the largest collections of Qurans in the Islamic world.
“Our new collection includes 17 rare artefacts, some of which are manuscripts and some of them are complete Quran copies, dating from the 2-13 century AH [in the Islamic calendar, or eighth to 13th centuries],” said Taher.
“Each piece deserves to be in an independent museum due to its valuable religious value. The collection dates back to the Umayyad, Mamluk, Timurid, Safavid and Ottoman states, and [originate from] India, Turkey, China, Iran, North Africa, Morocco and Andalusia, and come in different shapes and sizes.
"The calligraphy on the copies indicates that some of them were written by the most famous calligraphers who used ornaments and decoration, using gold and precious stones, such as blue lapis lazuli."
The Holy Quran Academy in Sharjah is dedicated to the care of the Quran in all its forms, including manuscript, print, audio and digital.
The academy includes a number of museums, such as the Holy Quran museum, the Seven Readings Museum and the Museum of the Pillars of Quran.
