DC exhibition shines light on Qur’ans as collector's objects

THE ART NEWSPAPER
By Emily Sharpe

A single-volume Qur’an from Medina (1577) (Image: courtesy of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul)

WASHINGTON, DC---It was a major boon for a collector to own a Qur’an by a celebrated calligrapher or copied at a holy site, such as the prayer room of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, or written in lampblack from the oil lamps at the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. By acquiring, reading and reciting from Qur’ans, the blessings they carry are bestowed on to their new owners. The movement of Qur’ans is explored in an exhibition at the Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC, which features rare loans from Istanbul’s Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. [link]