Sacred Script Exhibit: Qur’anic Manuscripts from the 8th to 16th centuries in the Minassian Collection
Case #4 | The ease of reading: A comparative examination
There is intense scholarly debate about the levels of literacy in the pre-modern Muslim world, particularly when the majority of Muslims themselves were not native Arabic speakers. However, the Qur’an was the starting point for the vast majority of children who would be taught at least some level of functional literacy. At the same time, emphasis in the teaching of scripture was placed on recitation and memorization, and not writing. In this case we offer a comparison of the same verses, one from the early late seventh century script of the Uthmanic codex and the other from a later 12-14th century manuscript. The folio from the collection here demonstrates how by the eleventh century the text had developed with an eye towards greater legibility, as evidenced by the differentiation of individual letter forms and the presence of diacritical marks. However, this practical evolution was tempered by the desire to maintain the aesthetic qualities of the manuscript as a whole. It has been suggested that this change represents a fundamental shift in the relationship and engagement which practitioners had with the text as a tangible whole.
Qur’an, Surat Hud [11] 115 to Surat Yusuf [12] 1-13…- [Reproduction of a page from the Uthmanic Codex housed in the Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi Nüshası, Istanbul. Published by: İslam Tarih, Sanat ve Kültür Araştırma Merkezi IRCICA, 2007]
Minassian Collection, A98-3 Box 2: Folder 158 ; Hay Star Collection, 2 volumes, BP102 2007