Ancient Qur’ans from the Collection of J.J. Marcel

Gallery of Images

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Qur'an. End of Surah 17 - beginning of Surah 18.
8th century. Parchment. 37 x 31 cm. Umayyad script. Decorative headpiece in the shape of a column and a bowl with a growing plant on its top, set horizontally, is drawn in gold and paints. Under the headpiece is the heading of Surah 18 "al-Kahf" ("The Cave"), written in red ink.
(Marcel 13, fol. 3r.)
Qur'an. Fragment of Surah 18 "al-Kahf" ("The Cave").
8th century. Parchment. 29 x 24 cm. Hijazi script.
(Marcel 19, fol. 1r.)
Qur'an. Fragment of Surah 9 "at-Tawba" ("Repentance").
9th century. Parchment. 13 x 20 cm. Kufi script (style B.II).
(Marcel 101, fol. 30v.)
Qur'an. End of Surah 13 - beginning of Surah 14.
9th century. Parchment. 17,5 x 25,5 cm. Kufi script (style D.I).
The heading of Surah 14 "Ibrahim" (Ibrahim is the biblical Abraham, mentioned in the Qur'an as one of the prophets before Muhammad) is written in gold and enclosed into an ornamented frame with the adjoyning tree-shaped vignette extending into the margin.
(Marcel 128, fol. 2v.)
Qur’an. Fragment of Surah 11 "Hud" (Hud is one of the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an, he was sent to preach monotheism in the tribe of 'Ad).
9th century. Parchment. 29 x 19 cm. Kufi script (style D.III).
Three lines of text are enclosed into a frame, the text field is filled with floral patterns. On the margin is a medallion in the shape of a stylized tree, adjacent to the frame.
(Marcel 110, fol. 1r.)
Fragment of the record stating that the manuscript was donated for charitable purposes, probably to the 'Amr ibn al-'As Mosque in Old Cairo, by Abu Mansur [Musa] al-Fath ibn Bugha al-Kabir (d. 877).
9th century. Parchment. 29 x 19 cm. Kufi script (style D.I). Surrounded by an ornamented frame.
(Marcel 110, fol. 2r.)
Qur’an. Fragment of Surah 22 "al-Hajj" ("The Pilgrimage").
9th-10th century. Parchment. 15 x 24,5 cm. Kufi script (style D.III).
Interlinear space is filled with golden ornamental patterns.
(Marcel 39, fol. 5v.)
Qur’an. Fragment of Surah 77 "al-Mursalat" ("The Emissaries").
9th-10th century. Parchment. 23,5 x 32,5 cm. Kufi script (style D.III).
Fine calligraphic writing. Golden rosettes marks the end of verses - the ayats.
(Marcel 91, fol. 1r.)
Right side of a double-page frontispiece drawn in gold and paints.
9th-10th century. Parchment. 17,5 x 24,5 cm.
(Marcel 85, fol. 1v.)
Qur’an. End of Surah 72 - Beginning of Surah 73.
9th-10th century. Parchment. 18 x 25,5 cm. Kufi script (style D.III).
The heading of Surah 73 "al-Muzzammil" ("The Enshrouded One") is written in gold, a palmetto medallion is joined with it on the margin.
(Marcel 27, fol. 36v.)
Qur’an. End of Surah 34 - Beginning of Surah 35.
10th century. Parchment. 19 x 27 cm. Kufi script (style D.III).
The heading of Surah 35 "al-Mala'ika" ("The Angels") is enclosed into a frame decorated with golden patterns against red background, a palmetto medallion is joined with it on the margin.
(Marcel 87, fol. 22r.)
Qur’an. Beginning of Surah 83.
9th-10th century. Parchment. 18 x 25,5 cm. Kufi script (style D.III).
The heading of Surah 83 "al-Mutaffifin" ("The Defrauders") is written in gold, a palmetto medallion is joined with it on the margin.
(Marcel 88, fol. 3v.)
Qur’an. End of Surah 38 - Beginning of Surah 39.
9th-10th century. Parchment. 18 x 25,5 cm. Kufi script (style D.III).
The heading of Surah 39 "az-Zumar" ("The Troops") is written in gold, a palmetto medallion is joined with it on the margin.
(Marcel 102, fol. 4r.)
Qur’an. Fragment of Surah 3 "Al 'Imran" ("The Family of 'Imran").
10th century. Parchment. 28 x 42 cm. Kufi script (style D.Vc).
This is the only fragment in the collection, written in this style of the Kufi script.
(Marcel 95, fol. 1r.)
Qur’an. Fragment of Surah 24 "an-Noor" ("The Light").
11th century. Paper. "New style" script (NS.I). The golden medallion has the word indicating the number of the verse, the same word is repeated on the margin in red ink.
This fragment consisting of only two pages is the only one in the Marcel collection written on paper. This material was invented in China and started to spread in the Middle East since the 9th century.
(Marcel 111, fol. 1v.-2r.)
Single verse marker in the shape of a small rosette drawn in gold and paints.
(Marcel 85, fol. 1v.)
Single verse marker in the shape of a small pear-shaped medallion drawn in gold and paints.
(Marcel 57, fol. 2v.)
Marker of a group of five ayats in the shape of a large golden rosette drawn on the margin. The rosette is inscribed with the Arabic words, 'Five ayats'. In the text line, the verses are separated from each other with the golden Arabic letter "Ha".
(Marcel 30, fol. 1r.)
Marker of a group of five ayats in a shape of a large openwork rosette drawn in gold and paints. The rosette is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Five'.
(Marcel 67, fol. 7r.)
Marker of a group of five ayats in a shape of a large openwork rosette drawn in gold and paints. The rosette is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Five'.
(Marcel 77, fol. 29r.)
Marker of a group of five ayatsin a shape of a pear-shaped medallion drawn in the text line in gold and paints. The medallion is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Five'.
(Marcel 78, fol. 1r.)
Marker of a group of ten ayats, in a shape of a large openwork medallion in gold, drawn in the text line. The medallion is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Forty'.
(Marcel 57, fol. 6r.)
Marker of a group of ten ayats, in a shape of a large rosett, drawn in the text line in gold and paints. The rosette is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Ten'.
(Marcel 67, fol. 2v.)
Marker of a group of ten ayats, in a shape of an exquisite medallion of geometric design, drawn in the text line. The medallion is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Twenty'.
(Marcel 72, fol. 1r.)
Marker of a group of ten ayats, in a shape of an exquisite medallion, drawn in the text line. The medallion is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Thirty'.
(Marcel 72, fol. 2r.)
Marker of a group of ten ayats, in a shape of a small illuminated rosette drawn in the text line. The rosette is inscribed with the Arabic word, 'Ten'.
(Marcel 73, fol. 8r.)
"Marker of a group of ten ayats, in a shape of a small illuminated rosette drawn in the text line. It has the Arabic letter "Sad" inscribed in the middle, which is equal to 90 in numerical value.
(Marcel 94, fol. 9r.)