This study consists of a general picture of the holdings of the Islamic Museum, Jerusalem, a background and history of the Qur'an, and a description of the manuscripts. It aims to attract attention to the manuscripts and encourage concern about their preservation.
Of the many ways in which Muslims through the ages have sought to express their faith, none is more impressive than that of Qur'anic calligraphy and illumination. The legacy of this elaborate art forms a comprehensive yet cohesive whole which has both assimilated and adapted to the cultural differences that exist over the vast distances separating the regions of the Islamic world. In this beautifully illustrated book Khader Salameh shows how the art has developed over time as he studies a selection of Qur'an manuscripts held in the al-Haram al-Sharif Islamic Museum in the al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem. These preserved copies of the Qur'an have been donated to the Mosque during various successive Islamic periods by individual Muslims, rulers, sultans, princes, ulama and others. They differ in size, calligraphy and ornamentation - such as gold inlaying - according to the technical and material resources available. The entries are arranged chronologically and identified by the name of the don
