Holy Qur'an

Before you is a ceremonial handwritten Qur’an of the seventeenth century, created in India during the Baburid period. Unlike the historical chronicles or poetic manuscripts in this sector, the focus here is the sacred text and the art of presenting it with dignity. The main text is written in clear naskh script, traditionally well suited to Qur’anic reading. On the open pages, we see gilded spaces between the lines, colored medallions in the margins, and rich blue-and-gold ornamental headings. The binding with a protective flap guarded the book and emphasized its status as a precious object. These elements were not merely decorative: they helped mark the structure of the text, protected the page from later additions, and created a visual image of sacred order. For Baburid India, such a manuscript reflected the connection of courtly culture with the heritage of Samarkand, Herat, and Kabul. In it, calligraphy, geometry, color, and disciplined reverence for writing are united. Through books like this, the Second Renaissance of Islamic civilization appeared not only in science and poetry, but also in the culture of respectful recitation.