Qatar National Library organises seminar on ‘Writing the Qur’anic Text Through the Centuries’

On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, where the Qur’an was revealed at first, and as part of the Doha Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2021 celebration, Qatar National Library (QNL) has taken the initiative of organising ‘Writing the Qur’anic Text Through Centuries’, which took all those who attended in the event for historic journey through the Qur’anic texts.

The event dealt with various calligraphy used in writing the Qur’an, the artistic elements of the book, and the general traditions of writing and producing Qurans.

During the first part of the seminar, Ibrahim bin Yousef Al Fakhro, a Qatari researcher and art collector particularly interested in Qur’anic manuscripts, mentioned the scripts, illumination and other book arts used in the manuscripts of the Qur’an. He also shed lights with few examples from his collection of Qur’anic manuscripts in Doha, many of which have been displayed in various exhibitions across the country. He also discussed about the book and illustrated catalog he published on the topic, ‘Journey of Arabic Calligraphy in the Context of the Noble Qur’an’.

In the second part of the seminar, Mahmoud Zaki, the Library’s manuscript specialist, shared his insights on the general traditions of scribing and producing Qurans and relevant codicology topics, including materials, ink and book arts, through a practical study of precious and rare Qur’anic manuscripts preserved in the Heritage Library. He also outlined items from the collection representing various places and eras of the Islamic world, from Arabia to Africa and from China to Andalus (Muslim Spain in the medieval period).

Maryam Ahmed Al Mutawa, Head of Collection Access at Qatar National Library said: “Our partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Sports reflects our commitment to educate and impart knowledge about Islamic culture and traditions. To celebrate Doha as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, we have planned a series of educational events that shed light on Qur’anic history, showcase scientific applications of preserving Islamic documentary heritage, highlight the role of public and private libraries in preserving Islamic cultural heritage, and the efforts of the founder of Qatar in printing and publishing religious books.”

Throughout the Qur’anic history, Muslims have devoted an abundance of care and attention to serving their Holy Book in both its content (the very text of the Qur’an) and physical form (the Mus’haf; which was and still is handwritten, produced in manuscript form, and later in printed or digital formats).

QNL has affirmed that they will constantly take efforts and continue to organise many educational and informative events this year in compliance with Doha Capital of Culture 2021.

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