نشریه مطالعات نظری هنر
پیاپی 2 (بهار و تابستان 1401)

This article contributes to the body of knowledge regarding early manuscripts of the Qurʾān by reporting the findings of a multidisciplinary investigation of the historical significance of a unique Qurʾānic copy. Discovered in the early nineteenth century CE in the Mosque of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ in Fusṭāṭ (Old Cairo), the manuscript is distinctive for its monumental size, which suggests its significance in the production of Qurʾānic manuscripts. It is also notable for heterogeneous leaves, some of which were not part of the original volume, an indication of conservation issues throughout the centuries. The multidisciplinary study of this composite copy and its preservation provides insight into the history of the written transmission of the Qurʾān, from the first manuscripts ordered by the Caliph ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (r. 644-656) to the Fāṭimid copies in Egypt (969-1171).

There were some Qurans related to Safavid era in Darussaade in Istanbul, which was an Ottoman royal headquarters, and were collected from mosques and tombs in museums and libraries from the beginning of the 19th century A.D. These artworks, which are remarkable examples in Islamic bibliopegy art because of their magnificent illuminations and precious covering, also show an especial and important era because of their scripts and transcribing. These works, regardless of their transcribing style, are important examples of artistic masterpieces because of their illuminations and coverings that show the perfection of Islamic bibliopegy art in the 16th century. We know that Esfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz and Qazvin were prominent in Safavid bibliopegy. Among these cities, Shiraz was the most important one in the 16th century A.D. I want to introduce two Qurans which were brought to Istanbul as an order or a gift. These two holy Qurans from Safavid era have fine scripts, illuminations, covers and they are kept in Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul. Ghataee and lac techniques have been performed proficiently on one of the covers. Mohamad al-Kateb and Ibn Qasem Daee Abdol Vahab al-Shirazi are the calligraphers. Both of the Qurans are transcribed in Yaghout al-Mostasami’s style which is still common in Iran. Ottoman History recorded in these Qurans are interesting, too. There is a note in one of the Qurans which is an endowment by Mehr Mah Soltan, Soltan Suleyman Qanouni’s daughter, to be kept and read in her mother’s tomb, Khoram Soltan. Another Quran was also dedicated to be kept in Aziz Mahmoud Khodaee’s mosque in Uskudar (Istanbul), according to its note, by a person named Fazlolah Ibn Mahmoud. There are horoscopes and prayers for finishing the Quran at the end of both Qurans which were common inn Safavid era.

Sekarzadeh Seyed Mohamad was one of the 18th famous calligraphers in Ottoman. He was born in Manisa. His father, Abdorahman Effendi, was a confectioner so Seyed Mohamad was known as “Shekarzadeh”. He was Yedikuleli Seyyid Abdullah Efendi’s student and got permission from him. He was famous especially for Thuluth and Naskh script. He died in 1753 A.D and his tomb is located next to Sheikh Hamdolah’s in Karacaahmet cemetery in Istanbul. There are still three Qurans transcribed by him in different museums. The first one is a Quran, No. 85, kept in Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul. It was a copy of Quran by Hafiz Uthman and it was ordered by Sultan Salim the third. This one has 458 pages and has been finished in 1729 A.D. After finishing this Quran, the king has known Shekarzadeh’s tendency to visit Kaaba so let him go and ordered him to copy another Quran by Sheikh Hamdolah. So Shekarzadeh went to Medina and after staying there for a year and transcribing the mentioned Quran, came back to Istanbul. In that time, Sultan Mahmoud was at the beginning of his kingdom, so Shekarzadeh gave the Quran to him. It can be understood from the endowment and notes that this manuscript later was taken to prophet Mohamad’s shrine by Rateb Ismaeil, and today it is kept in Malek Abdolaziz’s library in Medina, No. 231. Later, Shekarzadeh transcribed a Quran because of Soltan Mohamad the first, in 1733 A.D. and today it is kept in Suleymaniye library (Yenicami 3). This Quran has 346 pages and it is the first Quran that published by Ottoman government officially in 1874 A.D. This manuscript was published perfectly by Turkish Classical Art Foundation in Istanbul in 2018. Shekarzadeh mentioned in colophon of this Quran that this was the third one he had transcribed and he wanted to do more. But there are only three manuscripts mentioned in resources. It can be possible that his other Qurans are in private collections. This article is about Shekarzadeh’s artworks, who is a famous Ottoman calligrapher, his place in the Quran transcribing and especially his Qurans’ features.

Undoubtedly, the formation of calligraphy as an independent artistic tradition was the result of trying to transcribe the great and holy book of Islam with its most complete and original features. The Kufi script, which became popular and developed in Damascus and Kufa from the beginning of Islam, became the first type of script to write the the holy Quran in the Arab world. When Islam spread to the east, it changed to the Eastern Kufi and in the west to the Western Kufi and the examples have been remained until today. Despite the harsh nature of the Kufi script, its circular characters have effected on Thuluth, Naskh, Mohaghagh, and Reyhan scripts, which originated from Arabic script, and have given the Quran an extraordinary beauty. The efforts of the various Islamic governments that became powerful in Iran, the Mamluk government in Egypt, the Seljuk dynasty and the Ottomans in Anatolia, draw attention to transcribing God’s words. These scripts are used alone or alternately in transcribing of the Quran. By passing the time, the scale of the mentioned scripts above was determined by Yaghout al-Mostasami (died in 1299 A.D.) in Abbasid era by using dot. After the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottomans in 1453 A.D., Sheikh Hamdallah Amasi (1642-1698 A.D.), who appeared in Anatolia, chose the beauties of Yaghout scripts and created a new style and dedicated Naskh script to the transcribing of the Quran. Later, Hafiz Uthman (1642-1698 A.D.) repeated this choice through Sheikh’s transcriptions and revealed an understanding of Naskh script that is still accepted in the transcribing of the Quran today. So Naskh script introduced as “ Server of God’s Quran“ in Ottomans.

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.