Quran Page featuring Muhaqqaq script

Title

Year/Period

1430-1460

Region

Egypt

Object Type

illuminated manuscripts, extracts (partial documents), religious texts

Material

gold leaf, ink, paper (fiber product)

Technique

calligraphy (process), illumination (image-making process)

Dimension

Image size: 29.4 x 22.6 cm (Image)

Accession No.

1995-03907

Collection of

Asian Civilisations Museum

This Qur’an is written in a script known as muhaqqaq which means ‘accurate’ or ‘measured’. It is a straight script with rather flat endings that look like swords. The surah (chapter) featured here is Surat Al Ra‘d (Thunder) and the heading is written in white thulth enclosed within an illuminated panel. Muhaqqaq was a script which was very much favoured for copying Qur’ans from the 14th century, but lost its prominence in the 17th century. During the Mamluk period (1250-1517), many beautiful, large Qur’ans in muhaqqaq were endowed to mosques and madrasah (theological colleges).