Sultan Baybars' Quran on view in British Library
Regional, Religion, 9/6/2002

The Sultan Baybars' Quran, produced in Cairo seven centuries ago, can now be read by laymen at the British Library's 'Turning the Pages Technology' wing, thanks to digitization of the holy work made possible by a 40,000-pound donation by NRI industrialist Sir Gulam Noon, reported the Indian News Agency PTI Thursday.

Turning the Pages is the unique touch screen facility which allows visitors to 'turn' a selection of pages of digitized versions of major historic items in the Library's collection and see these in far greater detail than is possible on the original. For this project, installed in nine months, a new Three Dimensional technology allows the detail of Sultan Baybars' Koran, such as its extensive use of gold, to be seen in an entirely new way. Commenting on the new innovative project, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in a message said: "This Quran is an object of beauty as well of faith and it is excellent that the UK's national library has enabled so many people to appreciate such a magnificent work at the British Library itself or using the Internet or even by CD-ROM."

Addressing the launch reception on Wednesday at the British Library, one of the world's greatest research libraries, Sir Gulam Noon, Chairman of the Noon Foundation, said: "It has been a pleasure to support this project. "The Noon Foundation is enthusiastic about it and I hope that all visitors to the British Library and many more through the CD-ROM and the web will enjoy this magnificent Koran and obtain a fuller appreciation of its history and importance."

PTI quoted Dr John Ashworth, Chairman of the British Library Board during 1996-2000, as saying "Turning the pages has been one of the Library's great success stories. I am delighted that such a magnificent work as Sultan Baybars' Koran has become the first Islamic manuscript in the Library to join other famous items in the collection such as the Diamond Sutra which, thanks to the latest technology, are accessible and can be appreciated by everyone everywhere." Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, said: "Sultan Baybars' Koran joins examples of major texts from Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism on turning the pages and demonstrates the Library's commitment to increasing knowledge of world faiths by widening access to relevant historical items in its collection." Sultan Baybars' Koran is a masterpiece of Islamic calligraphy and illumination. It was produced between 1304-1306 AD (704-705 in the Muslim calendar) for the Mamluk ruler of Egypt, Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Jashnagir. It is celebrated for being written throughout in gold in the style of Arabic script known as thuluth. It was copied by the master calligrapher Muhammad Ibn al-Wahid and is the only known surviving example of his work. The British Library has over 14,000 Arabic manuscripts in its collection, making it one of the largest and finest in the Western world.

Previous Stories:
  Doha to host a conference on dialogue among religions   (6/12/2002)
  ISESCO, World Congress of Religions for Peace Sign Cooperation Agreement   (6/10/2002)
  Islamic conference calls for an end to Palestinians' suffering, settlement of India-Pakistan dispute   (5/25/2002)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search