At the Sharjah International Book Festival, there’s a special display of a beautifully made replica of the Golden Qur’an, which is a faithful copy of an original manuscript from the 11th or 12th century.
This manuscript was created by a famous Persian calligrapher named Ibn al-Bawwab. The real version of this manuscript is kept in the Bavarian State Library in Munich, and only ten copies were made back then. The replica, which is one of only 300, faithfully reproduces the ancient codex’s size, style, and beauty.
The exhibitor, Florian Strulz from Adeva Rare Collectibles, described this Qur’an as a true work of art. It has sacred text carefully written in black Naskh cursive on gold-coated paper. Each chapter heading is beautifully written in blue, white, and reddish-brown script, with intricate floral and arabesque designs and rosettes in blue and silver to separate the verses.
Strulz also pointed out that the size of the lettering is based on mathematical principles, with the letter ‘alif’ (the first letter of the Arabic alphabet) used as a reference for the size of all other letters.
The original Qur’an, created by Ibn al-Bawwab in Iraq or Iran during the Seljuk Turks’ era, featured various colors like white, brown, crimson, and black, all skillfully inscribed.
