Al-Aqsa Islamic Museum Preserves Centuries of Rare Quran Manuscripts
The Islamic Museum, located within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied al-Quds, safeguards a remarkable collection of approximately 600 Quran manuscripts
These rare works were gifted over centuries—by caliphs, sultans, princes, scholars, and prominent individuals—from the Umayyad and Abbasid eras through the Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods.
The manuscripts display considerable diversity in size, calligraphy, and ornamentation. They feature scripts such as Kufic, Maghribi, Naskh, Thuluth, and Persian styles.
Among the standout pieces is an 8th–9th century Kufic Quran the museum describes as “a hand-written Quran whose transcription is attributed to the great-great-grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).”
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Another highlight is the Moroccan Raba‘ah manuscript, a thirty-volume work in Maghribi script, donated by Sultan Abu al-Hasan al-Marini in the early 14th century. It is the only surviving copy of the three originally sent to Islam’s holy sites in Mecca, Medina, and al-Quds.
The museum also features the largest Quran in Palestine, dating to the 14th century during Mamluk Sultan Barsbay’s rule. Measuring around 1 meter in length, this monumental manuscript illustrates the museum’s extraordinary holdings.
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