The 42nd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is featuring an exceptionally rare Quran manuscript known as the Topkapi Quran. This manuscript is dated back to the second century of the Islamic Hijri calendar, which corresponds to the early-to-mid-8th century in the Gregorian calendar. It is traditionally credited to Uthman Ibn Affan, the third caliphate, who lived in 656 AD.
The original copy of the Topkapi Quran is housed in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Taha Zahid Ozdemir, associated with the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA) in Turkey, highlighted that this Quran is considered one of the oldest in existence, and it is of exceptional quality.
Notably, the manuscript showcased at the fair was sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
The Quran was a gift from Mehmed Ali Pasha, the Governor of Egypt in the 19th century, to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II. It features unique illuminations that can also be found in historical Islamic structures such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Ozdemir explained that the script used in this Quran is an evolved form of Kufic script. He also pointed out that while the letter shapes do not match the style of writing attributed to Caliph Uthman, it appears to have meticulously followed a method introduced by Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali for adding vowel marks.
This rare Quran manuscript is being offered for sale at around Dh13,000, and one of the limited editions has already been sold. Ozdemir mentioned that many museums and libraries have expressed interest in acquiring it.
In the event that the second copy isn’t sold, it will be returned to the IRCICA center in Istanbul, Turkey, or may be offered for sale online as part of their limited edition collection.
