Katta Langar Qur'an
Type:
Qur'ans
Date:
late eighth century,
ninth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Uzbekistan,
Saudi Arabia
Medium:
Parchment
Dimensions:
52.5 × 34 cm
Description:
The Katta Langar Qur'an was produced in the late eighth century, perhaps in Medina (based on its Western Arabian script). It was kept for centuries in a mosque in Katta Langar, a village in Uzbekistan, but its folios are now found in many countries, with the majority in St. Petersburg since the 1930s. Nearly half of this Qur'an survives today, including most of suras 2–71.
The very large pages were written by at least two scribes. They left empty spaces between the suras, but in the ninth century these spaces were filled with lively geometric ornament in green and red ink, with the sura title and verse counts written in small black script. Decorative signs were also added to mark groups of verses: star shapes for 100 verses and wheel shapes for 200.
The very large pages were written by at least two scribes. They left empty spaces between the suras, but in the ninth century these spaces were filled with lively geometric ornament in green and red ink, with the sura title and verse counts written in small black script. Decorative signs were also added to mark groups of verses: star shapes for 100 verses and wheel shapes for 200.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
4,
5
Repository and Online Resources:
Watch a video about the 2018 facsimile of this Qur'an manuscript here.
Image Credits:
Wikimedia Commons, Zunkir
