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Lot Essay
This Qur'an was copied during the reign of the Mamluk ruler al-Malik al-Zahir Khushqadam Sayf al-Din (AH 865-872/1464-65 AD).
The readers (qari) of the Qur'an are given as Nafi' al-Madani, Ibn Kathir al-Makki, Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala', Ibn 'Amir al-Dimashqi, 'Aasim al-Kufi, al-Kisa'i al-Kufi, Abu Ja'far, Ya'qub al-Yamani, Khalaf, Muhammad ibn Muhaisin, Yahya al-Yazidi, al-Hasan al-Basri and Sulayman ibn Mahraan. Some of these names appear in the extensive commentaries written in red in the margins.
The curved and slightly compressed form of the kaf letters and the rosette verse markers in this Qur'an are very similar to those found in a Qur'an in the Chester Beatty Library (inv.ms.1483), also copied during the reign of Sultan al-Zahir Khushqadam by the governor of Damascus (r.1461-67, David James, Qur'ans and Bindings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1980, no.40, p.56). The Chester Beatty copy also has very similar sura headings in gold script with blue treble-dot decoration. This proximity of style suggests that our Qur'an like the Chester Beatty copy was a product of the Mamluk court.
The floral borders surrounding the text panel on the opening illuminated folio are very similar to those of a slightly earlier Qur'an in the Egyptian National Library (inv. 96), which carries a waqf inscription in the name of Sultan Barsbay (r.1422-37, Martin Lings, The Quranic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination, London, 1976, no. 80). The copy in the Egyptian National Library also has very similar strapwork borders which further indicates that both it and our copy were produced under royal patronage. It is said that al-Anbabi held the position of na'ib katib al-sirr at the Mamluk court. The flyleaves carry birth announcement inscriptions giving the names and dates of various children of one Badr al-'Adili including Sidi Shihab al-Din Ahmad in AH 911/1505-06 AD; al-Sitt Fatima in AH 917/1511-12 AD and Sidi Muhammad in AH 914/1508-09 AD.
The readers (qari) of the Qur'an are given as Nafi' al-Madani, Ibn Kathir al-Makki, Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala', Ibn 'Amir al-Dimashqi, 'Aasim al-Kufi, al-Kisa'i al-Kufi, Abu Ja'far, Ya'qub al-Yamani, Khalaf, Muhammad ibn Muhaisin, Yahya al-Yazidi, al-Hasan al-Basri and Sulayman ibn Mahraan. Some of these names appear in the extensive commentaries written in red in the margins.
The curved and slightly compressed form of the kaf letters and the rosette verse markers in this Qur'an are very similar to those found in a Qur'an in the Chester Beatty Library (inv.ms.1483), also copied during the reign of Sultan al-Zahir Khushqadam by the governor of Damascus (r.1461-67, David James, Qur'ans and Bindings from the Chester Beatty Library, London, 1980, no.40, p.56). The Chester Beatty copy also has very similar sura headings in gold script with blue treble-dot decoration. This proximity of style suggests that our Qur'an like the Chester Beatty copy was a product of the Mamluk court.
The floral borders surrounding the text panel on the opening illuminated folio are very similar to those of a slightly earlier Qur'an in the Egyptian National Library (inv. 96), which carries a waqf inscription in the name of Sultan Barsbay (r.1422-37, Martin Lings, The Quranic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination, London, 1976, no. 80). The copy in the Egyptian National Library also has very similar strapwork borders which further indicates that both it and our copy were produced under royal patronage. It is said that al-Anbabi held the position of na'ib katib al-sirr at the Mamluk court. The flyleaves carry birth announcement inscriptions giving the names and dates of various children of one Badr al-'Adili including Sidi Shihab al-Din Ahmad in AH 911/1505-06 AD; al-Sitt Fatima in AH 917/1511-12 AD and Sidi Muhammad in AH 914/1508-09 AD.