Makkah museum displays rare ninth-century Qur’an manuscript

A Qur’anic page created more than 1,000 years ago has gone on display at the Holy Qur’an Museum in Makkah’s Hira Cultural District.

The rare manuscript dates to the third century AH, corresponding to the ninth century CE, and records an early period in the production of handwritten copies of the Qur’an.

The surviving page contains verses from Surah Maryam written in red ink on parchment.

Its text does not include vowel marks or diacritical dots, features that were absent from many early forms of Arabic and Qur’anic writing.

The manuscript gives visitors an opportunity to examine how the Qur’an was recorded during the early Islamic centuries and observe differences between historic manuscripts and later written forms.

The exhibit also helps explain how Qur’anic script developed and how early Muslim communities preserved and produced written copies of the holy text.

Its material, script and presentation offer evidence of the methods used by scribes during that period.

Inside the Holy Qur’an Museum

The Holy Qur’an Museum is one of the main attractions in the Hira Cultural District.

Its exhibitions examine the history and sciences of the Qur’an, including the stages through which its text was written and compiled.

Modern exhibition halls and interactive technology are used to present the material and provide visitors with an educational experience combining historic artefacts with digital displays.