Exquisite Quran manuscripts and Islamic calligraphy at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

Highlights from the Hamid Jafar Quran Collection present remarkable works of calligraphy spanning 14 centuries of Islamic civilization worldwide. 'Sacred Words, Timeless Calligraphy' will be on view until 4 June 2023.

The photo above: © The Hamid Jafar Quran Collection / Courtesy of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

Some of the finest examples of Quran manuscripts and Islamic calligraphy from the Hamid Jafar Quran Collection are shown for the first time ever at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. The exhibition, titled 'Sacred Words, Timeless Calligraphy: Highlights of Exceptional Calligraphy from the Hamid Jafar Quran Collection' presents a selection of 50 rare examples of Quran manuscripts spanning 14 centuries of Islamic civilization from China to North Africa.

The Hamid Jafar Quran Collection is one of the most important collections of rare Quranic manuscripts and calligraphy. Mr Hamid Jafar, Founder and Chairman of Sharjah-based Crescent Group of Companies, began collecting the rare manuscripts more than 40 years ago. The 52 works on exhibit illustrate craftwork and beauty in design, demonstrating successive breakthroughs while reflecting the aesthetics of the location and epoch in which they were produced. The collection also includes a painting and rug from Mr Jafar's art collections that reflect the same ethos.

The collection began with a vision of presenting the influence of Islam as a unifying force and a source of inspiration in disparate cultures and locations from the Near East to China, South East Asia to Spain and the Maghrib, tracing back to the dawn.

"I am proud and honoured to be exhibiting this selection from my collection for the first time, doing so in my beloved Sharjah which I have taken as my home for over half a century, and to be sharing with the wider community the beauty of these remarkable works." Mr Jafar said.

Sacred Words, Timeless Calligraphy. Photo by Neville Hopwood / Courtesy of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

Sacred Words, Timeless Calligraphy. Photo by Tala Gharagozlou / Courtesy of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

Sacred Words, Timeless Calligraphy. © The Hamid Jafar Quran Collection / Courtesy of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

The exhibition is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Sharjah, who has long been one of the world’s great patrons of Islamic Art, and who has championed the creation of remarkable Sharjah institutions including the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, where the exhibition is being hosted. The exhibit also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Crescent Petroleum, founded by Mr Jafar in 1971. 'Sacred Words, Timeless Calligraphy' will be on view until 4 June 2023.