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Mamluk Qur'an

This Qur'an from the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt provides a splendid example of a carpet page in an Islamic manuscript: the rich, ornate, ingeniously interwoven abstract patterns reminiscent of an exotic carpet.

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Mamluk Qur’an

Mamluk Qur’an. Egypt, 14th century Chapter 7, al-A‘raf (The Heights), verses 88–89
BL Or. MS 848, ff. 1v–2
Copyright © The British Library Board

What is the Qur'an?





How was the Qur'an written down?



What was the Mamluk Sultanate?

It was the greatest Islamic empire of the middle ages, occupying lands from Egypt along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean to Syria and across the Red Sea.

In Arabic, Mamluk means 'owned', and was used to describe non-Muslim slaves brought to Egypt to serve as soldiers in struggles between Islamic rulers, in part to avoid the religious prohibition of Muslim fighting Muslim. Many Mamluks converted and, slaves no longer, were able to attain high positions. Eventually Mamluks took power in Egypt. After defeating the Mongol armies in 1260, they annexed strongholds across the eastern Mediterranean and took control of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Cairo, the Mamluk capital, became the economic and cultural hub of the Islamic world. Architecture, manuscript illumination, textiles and glass-making evolved rich Mamluk styles that were influential even in Europe.

Sultan Hassan mosque in Cairo, Egypt, dates back to the 1350s, and is a fine example of Mamluk architecture

What is special about this Qur'an?

The first opening of this Qur'an manuscript contains all that remains of the double carpet pages and first page of text. The leaf that was originally between them has been lost. As in most Mamluk Qur'ans, the frame of the first text page is divided into three sections, the middle section containing the text within a flowing, cloud-like motif against a background of scrolls.

The general effect of the carpet page design is that of a rich tapestry, based on a 10-angled, star-shaped medallion with gold and white outlines extending to form a trellis of overlapping polygons, which alternate in gold and blue.

This was part nine of a Qur'an originally in 30 volumes.