RIYADH, 23 October — A copy of the oldest ever edition of the Holy Qur’an is one of the highlights of the “Exhibition of the Holy Qur’an” inaugurated by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies here on Sunday night.
Paying tributes to the King Faisal Foundation for its initiative in organizing the event, Prince Salman said it was relevant, since the Qur’an was revealed in this peninsula. Moreover, the Holy Qur’an constitutes the basis of the Kingdom’s law.
A total of 46 states are participating in the expo, which will run for two months. The exhibition will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays have been reserved for families. It will be closed on Friday.
The oldest edition of the Qur’an features a replica of the original version printed in Venice in 1538 and kept on permanent display at St. Michael monastery in the Italian city. Only two pages containing the first and the last chapter of the holy book are on view at the exhibition, which coincides with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd’s completion of 20 years in rule.
The center, meanwhile, announced that a seminar on “The role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd ibn Abdul Aziz in printing and publishing the Qur’an” will be held today at the center’s auditorium at 8 p.m.
Prof. Badr ibn Nasser Al-Badr of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Dr. Abbas ibn Saleh Tashkandi of King Abdul Aziz University (Jeddah) and Dr. Muhammed Salem Al-Awfi, secretary-general of King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex (Madinah) will be the speakers.
As for the exhibits, what drew the visitors’ attention was “Koran of Mahomat” printed in London and New York in 1649. It contains explanatory notes from various commentators, with a discourse by George Sales.
Among the other exhibits were the Hamburg edition of 1694 printed in Germany, and those from St. Petersburg (1787) and Leipzig (1834). A copy of the Hamburg edition forms part of the collections of the center.
The Arab and Islamic world started printing the Qur’an in the 19th century. The holy book was printed in Tehran, Tibriz (Iran) and Cairo (Egypt) in 1828, 1833 and 1890 respectively.
A total of 731 editions from various countries are on display. The criteria for selection ranged from rarity to decorative printing and high quality production. Some rare editions constituting part of the exhibition were gifted to the late King Faisal by the heads of some Arab and Islamic states.
According to Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the board of directors of the center, the exhibition seeks to highlight various phases of the Arabic calligraphy as it evolved in different periods and regions. Also, it provides an insight into the evolution of printing through the ages. The prince said the exhibition is the largest collection of Qur’anic editions under one roof.
The exhibition has a separate wing for the King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex in Madinah. Saleh Al-Kheraiji, chairman of the executive committee at the expo, said the complex has produced over 165 million copies of the Qur’an during the last 17 years. Of these, 142 million copies have been distributed among Islamic countries and Muslim minorities around the world.
