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Over 60 Ancient Korans Go On Display at the Smithsonian

This is a sneak peek at the newest exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum called 'The Art of the Quran', which focuses on displaying Islam's holy book and items of Muslim art and culture to Americans to bridge cultures. The exhibition was organised by the Sackler Gallery in collaboration with the Museum of Turkish Islamic Arts in Istanbul. It features more than 60 of the most important and rarest Quran manuscripts ever produced in Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan, some of which were produced shortly after the Prophet Mohammed died some 1,300 years ago. The exhibition showcases Qurans of different origins, formats and styles, some massive and larger than life while others are ornately decorated, showing the wide range of Islamic art. These manuscripts were originally created for some of the most powerful rulers of the Islamic World, who empires spanned all of the Middle East, parts of India, North Africa, and even parts of Europe. The Art of the Quran is the first major US exhibition of early handwritten Quran manuscripts and the first time this unique collection has left Turkey. The Art of the Quran will open to the public on Saturday, October 22nd.