Muslims hold copies of the Qur’an in the highest esteem, as they consider the text to be the Word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Since the late seventh century, the text of the Qur’an has been carefully transcribed and decorated, first on parchment and later on paper. Many manuscripts became prized possessions of wealthy and educated elites throughout the Islamic world.

Decades or even centuries after copies of the Qur’an were created in cities such as Herat, Baghdad, and Cairo, Ottoman sultans, queens, and viziers acquired some of the most precious ones. These volumes were treasured in private libraries and given as gifts and rewards. Most frequently, they were donated to religious institutions to be read, recited and studied. Inscriptions, notes, and repairs provide snapshots of the manuscripts’ histories—including their long-distance travels before the early twentieth century, when they finally settled in Istanbul’s Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.

Click on a manuscript below to trace its journey.

  • Ink and color on parchment.

    SE 56

    Qur’an folios. Near East, Umayyad period, late 7th–early 8th century. Ink and color on parchment. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, ŞE 56

  • TIEM 431A

    First volume of a two-part Qur’an. Copied by al-Husayn ibn Abdallah. Probably Egypt, Cairo, Fatimid period, 1028 (AH 419). Gold, color, and ink on paper. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul, TIEM 431A.

  • TIEM 538

    Sections of a thirty-part Qur’an. Probably copied by Ahmad al-Suhrawardi, illuminated by Muhammad ibn Aybak. Iraq, Baghdad, Il-Khanid period, 1307–8 (AH 707). Gold, color, and ink on paper. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul, TIEM 538

  • TIEM 555

    Fifth volume of a thirty-part Qur’an. Probably eastern Iran or present-day Afghanistan, Ghaznavid period, first half of 11th century. Ink, color, and gold on paper. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, TIEM 555.

  • TIEM 507

    Single-volume Qur’an. Copied by Yaqut al-Musta‘simi (died ca. 1298). Iraq, Baghdad, Il-Khanid period, 1286–87 (AH 685). Ink, color, and gold on paper. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul, TIEM 507.

  • TIEM 232

    Single-volume Qur’an. Copied by Muhammad ibn Amir Ali al-Hasani. Iran, probably Tabriz, Safavid period, 1516 (AH 921). Ink, color, and gold on paper. Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul, TIEM 232.