Iraqi National Museum showcases ancient deerskin Quran

BAGHDAD, April 4 — In Baghdad, Iraq, the Iraqi Manuscripts Department showcased a collection of rare and valuable Qur’anic manuscripts during an exhibition held in the Assyrian Hall of the National Museum. This was the first time these manuscripts were put on display. The exhibition was held to celebrate Arab Manuscript Day.

Amna Taha, Director of the Iraqi Museum Library, shared with Network 964:
The Iraqi Museum annually commemorates Arab Manuscript Day on April 4th by showcasing a selection of rare manuscripts in Baghdad.
These exhibits attract numerous students and enthusiasts who are passionate about the manuscripts and eager to view them at the museum.

Mona Naji, the Head of the Storage Department at the Manuscript House, shared with Network 964:
The exhibition showcased Qur’ans written on vellum made from animal skins, dating back to the first three Hijri centuries. In addition, there were pieces of Qur’ans written on old pieces of papers from the third, fourth, and fifth centuries.

The exhibition also featured intricately decorated, valuable, and stylized Qur’ans from various Islamic schools, such as the Indian, Persian, Turkish, Moroccan, and Eastern schools.

Furthermore, Naji called upon the Ministry of Culture to establish collaborations with other Arab and Islamic countries to create a comprehensive catalog that includes manuscripts from their respective collections. The goal of this initiative is to create a unified and numbered definition of these manuscripts.