Folio from the ‘Blue Qur’an’.
Doha, Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) boasts an extraordinary collection of priceless Islamic artefacts, among which stands out a page from the famous Blue Qur’an, one of the most sophisticated Qur’ans ever created in the Islamic World. Adorned with sumptuous golden Kufic calligraphy on deep-blue parchment, this piece stands as a true masterpiece of Arab-Islamic manuscript creation. Its horizontal layout maintains uniform line lengths, yet omits the marks typically distinguishing letters, thus posing a reading challenge.
While its captivating colour palette is believed to be influenced by the opulent color-dyed and gilded manuscripts from neighboring Christian regions, the origins of this manuscript have long been debated. It has been attributed to regions as various as Fatimid Tunisia, Kalbid Sicily, 10th-century CE Spain, Abbasid Iraq, and Aghlabid North Africa.
The original manuscript, believed to consist of approximately 600 pages and likely distributed across several volumes, no longer exists in its entirety. Many of its leaves are currently housed at the Museum of Raqqada in Tunisia, with separate pages scattered among various museums worldwide.
Read Also
Located in the museum's first gallery on level one, visitors can encounter the MIA's folio of the Blue Qur’an right at the beginning of the gallery tour. This significant artifact shares space with other noteworthy pieces from the museum's esteemed collection, including the Cavour Vase, Varanasi necklace, Ramayana manuscript of Hamida Banu Begum, and the Franchetti tapestry. This diverse selection not only offers insights into various aspects of Islamic art but also showcases a wide array of materials employed across Islamic art's expansive geographical and historical range, spanning over 1,400 years and three continents.
For those eager to engage with this piece of history, the folio can be experienced both in person and virtually through the museum's online collection on Google Arts and Culture. Both avenues provide access to this timeless artifact, allowing enthusiasts to appreciate the beauty and historical significance of the Blue Qur’an, alongside the many other treasures of Islamic art held within the museum's walls.
