Author
Calligrapher: Asad Allah Kermani.
Author Original
الخطاط أسد الله كرماني
Publication Date
9th / 15th century (ca. 874 / 1470)
Publication Place
Istanbul, Turkey. -
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Subject
Smooth polished Aharli paper, ink writing, watercolour, gold inlay, decorated leather binding.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
Yes
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 41 سم؛ العرض: 29 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
448
Record ID
object;ISL;tr;Mus01;37;ar
Library Location
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Date
9th / 15th century (ca. 874 / 1470)
Notes
This Qur’an was written in Naskhi script and black ink on smooth, polished Aharali paper. The opening pages of the Qur’an are two brightly colored pages with the titles of the surahs decorated with decorative frames, and the verses are outlined with flowers in the margins. The multi-colored floral patterns are striking, reminiscent of Turkmen and Tamerlane designs dating back to the 9th / 15th century. The outer surface of the leather binding is black, while the inner surface is brown, decorated with cut-out and glued ornaments. The symmetrical designs of the inner and outer covers consist of oval medallions with small leaf-shaped pendants and corner pieces consisting of semi-pendants. The surface of the medallion is decorated with arrangements of roses, leaves, and spiral plants in a pattern inspired by Chinese art. The decorated leather cover reflects the influence of Mamluk art. The reign of Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror) witnessed extensive conquests of the Ottoman Empire. The Conqueror also ordered the writing and illumination of many manuscripts for his treasury in the workshop he established in the Sublime Palace. Because the Sultan was a great patron of the arts, he gathered many artists in the palace atelier in Istanbul, bringing them from the countries he conquered. Thus, the influence of Mamluk art appears on the cover of this Qur’an, and Turkmen and Tamerlane art in the color decorations. This Qur’an was also written by a scribe from Kerman (Iran). Although the manuscript lacks data on the place and time of its copying, its remarkable quality suggests that it was completed for the treasury of Sultan Mehmed II.
Sample Text
Sevgi Kutluay “Qur’an” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01;37;ar
Bu sayfanın künyesi
Prepared by:Sevgi KUTLUAYSevgi Kutluay is the Head of the Calligraphy and Manuscripts Section at the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul. She graduated from the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Hacettepe University, Ankara, in 1985 with the thesis “The Complexes of Kayseri Huand Hatun and Afşin Eshab-ı Kehf and the Development of Complexes in the Anatolian Seljuq Period”. She completed her Master's at the same department with a thesis entitled “Divriği Great Mosque and Its Decorative Programme” in 1989. She started working at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1988 and has worked as an expert at various museums and departments of the ministry. She quit her Ph.D. entitled “The Diwan of Hüseyin Baykara and the 15th Century Manuscripts of Herat”. She participated in restoration projects on the wall paintings of Göreme Dark Church and Sumela Monastery in Trabzon and in the display designs of various museums.
Seçili bibliyografya
Artan, T., Denny, W. B., and çağman, F.,Palace of Gold and Light: Treasures from the Topkapı, Istanbul,Washington D.C., 2000, cat. no. A39.Ölçer, N.et al,In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, plates 16A–C; 45–7.Raby, J. and Tanındı, Z.,Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century, London, 1993, pp.50–51.Roxburgh, D. J. (ed),Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600,London, 2005, pp.290–91; p.439, cat. no. 247.
