Manuscripts from the Islamic World

Home to one of the finest collections of Islamic works on paper in North America, the Freer|Sackler also houses numerous important Qur’ans and individual folios. Their pages offer a fascinating glimpse into the arts of the book from the ninth century to the late 1800s and from North Africa to the Indian subcontinent. Written in a variety of scripts on either parchment or paper and often superbly illuminated, these prized works of art affirm the central role of Qur’anic manuscripts in the artistic heritage of the Islamic world.

This app is an opportunity to see a selection of these works from various parts of the Islamic world, as well as to appreciate different styles of calligraphy and illumination and understand their role and function. We invite you to turn the pages of three Qur’ans and discover how to “read” a handwritten manuscript.