Shah Mahmoud Neyshabouri’s Quran: A Transcribing in Nasta’liq

Nezamadin Shah Mahmoud who is famous as “Zarin Qalam” in art world, was born around 1479-1493 A.D. in Neyshabour. His first calligraphy teacher was his uncle, Abdi Neyshabouri. He continued his learning as Soltan Ali Mashhadi’s student and improved his calligraphy. He appeared his style after studying masters’ scripts like Mir Ali Heravi and Mohamad Khandan. Shah Ismaeil Safavi, who supports artists, supported Shah Mahmoud and ordered him to transcribe a Shahnameh for himself. Shah Mahmoud has lots of artworks and a Quran kept in Istanbul Topkapi palace museum’s library (Hırka-i Saâdet , No. 25) transcribed by Nasta’liq script is one of his most beautiful art. The size of this Nasta’liq Quran is 25.5x37 cm and has 361 pages. It is illuminated by Hasan al-Baghdadi’s workshop. This Quran was given to Sultan Morad the third by Shah Mohamad Bahador Khan ( Shah Mohamad Khoda Bandeh Safavi) as a gift. It can be said that this Quran, which is precious because of its bibliopegy like cover, illumination and binding, affected Ottoman art and gave it a direction. Shah Mahmoud and his students played big roles in transferring Nasta’liq script from Iran, which is Nasta’liq’s birthplace, to Ottoman. This Quran, which has been transcribed elegantly from beginning to the end, is one of the Islamic masterpieces because of its illuminations, headlines, finishing verses and signs of each part. The purpose of this article is to introduce the Quran by Shah Mahmoud Neyshabori I Nasta’liq script and study the Iranian and Ottoman’s differences.