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Cover of the Qur’an
(غلاف مصحف)

Title	Cover of the Qur’an
Title Original	غلاف مصحف
Author	Calligrapher: Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman.
Author Original	الخطاط محمد بن عبد الرحمن
Publication Date:	1054 / 1644
Publication Place	- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Subject	Aharli glossy paper, ink, watercolour, decorated and gilded leather binding.
Type	Other
Language	Undetermined
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	No
Physical Dimensions	الطول: 66 سم؛ العرض: 47 سم
Library:	Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID	535
Record ID	object;ISL;tr;Mus01;47;ar
Library Location	Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Date	1054 / 1644
Notes	The decoration on the outer and inner surfaces of the dark red leather binding was carried out by a template. On the outer and inner covers there is a wide border framing a recessed oval medallion accompanied by triangular pendants and corner fillings. The edges of the medallion, the pendants, and the corner fillings were also decorated with ornaments and gold. There are two points of contrast between the covers and the striped edges: all the gold-striped border decorations are executed on a black background, with the exception of the main ground of the gold-striped medallion. The lining has an inscription of Qur’anic verses, while the outer cover has floral designs. These compositions were executed inside and out in a style called Saz, which is distinguished by its strange saw-shaped plant leaves and gold painting. On the footnote, between the oval medallions with floral designs, the 'Ayat al-Kursi' (Surat al-Baqarah, verse 255) is inscribed in gold-plated thuluth script. As for the wing of the cover, verses 77-9 of Surat Al-Waqi’ah were engraved on it. There is a balance between decorated and undecorated areas on the cover, and the contrasts in the areas of the decorated surface create a sense of depth. The cover is a wonderful example of the continued influence of the style of the famous bookbinder Mehmed Çelebi (10th / 16th century) and his school in the Ottoman court workshops in the middle of the 11th / 17th century. This can be seen in the details, such as the Saz method of floral decoration, the intaglio medallions and the corner fillings.
Sample Text	Sevgi Kutluay “Cover of the Qur’an” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01;47;ar

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Museum With No Frontiers

Cover of the Qur’an

(غلاف مصحف)

Author Calligrapher: Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman.

Author Original الخطاط محمد بن عبد الرحمن

Publication Date 1054 / 1644

Publication Place - Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

Subject Aharli glossy paper, ink, watercolour, decorated and gilded leather binding.

Type Other

Language Undetermined

Digital Yes

Manuscript No

Physical Dimensions الطول: 66 سم؛ العرض: 47 سم

Library Museum With No Frontiers

Library Asset ID 535

Record ID object;ISL;tr;Mus01;47;ar

Library Location Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

Date 1054 / 1644

Notes The decoration on the outer and inner surfaces of the dark red leather binding was carried out by a template. On the outer and inner covers there is a wide border framing a recessed oval medallion accompanied by triangular pendants and corner fillings. The edges of the medallion, the pendants, and the corner fillings were also decorated with ornaments and gold. There are two points of contrast between the covers and the striped edges: all the gold-striped border decorations are executed on a black background, with the exception of the main ground of the gold-striped medallion. The lining has an inscription of Qur’anic verses, while the outer cover has floral designs. These compositions were executed inside and out in a style called Saz, which is distinguished by its strange saw-shaped plant leaves and gold painting. On the footnote, between the oval medallions with floral designs, the 'Ayat al-Kursi' (Surat al-Baqarah, verse 255) is inscribed in gold-plated thuluth script. As for the wing of the cover, verses 77-9 of Surat Al-Waqi’ah were engraved on it. There is a balance between decorated and undecorated areas on the cover, and the contrasts in the areas of the decorated surface create a sense of depth. The cover is a wonderful example of the continued influence of the style of the famous bookbinder Mehmed Çelebi (10th / 16th century) and his school in the Ottoman court workshops in the middle of the 11th / 17th century. This can be seen in the details, such as the Saz method of floral decoration, the intaglio medallions and the corner fillings.

Sample Text Sevgi Kutluay “Cover of the Qur’an” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01;47;ar