Researchers at the Zayed National Museum (ZNM) uncovered hidden verses from Surah al-Nisa' beneath a layer of gold decoration on a page of the 1,000-year-old Blue Qur'an. They used multispectral imaging techniques to reveal invisible and faded writings that were previously concealed under gold leaf decoration.
The Blue Qur'an, or Al Mushaf al-'Azraq, is one of the most famous and luxurious Quran manuscripts, created between the late 9th century and early 10th century CE for Muslims of Kairouan. It is renowned for its deep blue-dyed pages made from indigo-dyed sheepskin and gold Kufic script, making it one of the rarest Qur'anic manuscripts. The manuscript's pages are adorned with gold calligraphy and silver decorations, reflecting its exceptional artistry.
Multispectral imaging is a technique that allows scientists to reveal texts that are previously invisible or faded. In the case of the Blue Qur'an, this method enabled researchers to see beneath the gold leaf decoration, uncovering the hidden verses. "Only one copy of the Blue Qur'an is thought to exist, and the 100 or so of its known pages have fascinated scholars for many decades," said Nurul Iman Bint Rusli, a curator at ZNM. She continued, "The advanced technology used to shed new light on this page of the manuscript is helping to provide additional perspectives on the production of this rare copy of the Qur'an." She added, "It is an honor to be part of this important research on one of the world's most important manuscripts at Zayed National Museum."
Researchers emphasize that a calligrapher making the decision to cover a mistake on his own initiative is very rare in Islamic works of that period. In the calligraphy, there are special decorations that were likely added by the calligrapher to correct writing mistakes, with some corrections hidden behind artistic decorations only visible through multispectral imaging. Such practices of concealing mistakes with decorative elements are extremely rare in Islamic manuscripts of this age, providing valuable insights into the practices of early scribes.
Surah al-Nisa' is the fourth chapter of the Qur'an, dedicated to women's rights, inheritance law, care for orphans, lawful and unlawful marriages of women, and upholding justice. The discovered verses illustrate the Qur'an's role as an authoritative legal source and outline acceptable behavior for Muslims.
"The Zayed National Museum's research on the Blue Qur'an provides new insights into the origins and production of this important manuscript, while affirming the museum's role in cultural and academic life in the UAE and beyond," stated Mai Al Mansouri, Associate Curator at ZNM. "The discoveries our teams are making about the heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the broader region are profoundly significant to developing our understanding of how ideas spread across cultures, highlighting its historical role as a center for communication and cultural exchange, and illustrating its contribution to the flow of ideas, art, and knowledge between civilizations."
The Blue Qur'an originally comprised around 600 pages made from indigo-dyed sheepskin, but today only about 100 pages are preserved in private and museum collections worldwide. Since creating a new indigo-dyed sheepskin sheet would have been costly, intricate gold leaf patterns were used to hide errors instead of discarding the expensive parchment. The text in the Blue Qur'an manuscript is written in Kufic script, a style of Arabic writing without dots or vowel markings, making it hard for modern readers to understand. These corrections provide valuable insights into the practices of early scribes.
The mysterious page of the Blue Qur'an will be exhibited in the Zayed National Museum's "Through Our Connections" gallery, which is planned to open soon. The gallery showcases how new technologies, materials, and knowledge shaped the world of the ancient emirates.
Since the early 20th century, scholars have proposed several regions as the origin of the Blue Qur'an, including North Africa, Iraq, and Andalusia. The first mention of the Blue Qur'an dates back to 1293 CE, when it was included in the catalog of the library of the Great Mosque in Kairouan.
The Zayed National Museum celebrates the cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates and aims to establish a world-class research institution. Among the museum's missions is to establish a reliable authority on the history and culture of the United Arab Emirates from ancient times to the present. "The museum's research program is an important part of our mission to expand understanding of the past, societies, and cultures," added Al Mansouri. The museum achieves its research goals through independent research, partnerships with researchers and institutions, and facilitating access to collections to support knowledge-based projects.
Currently, only about 100 pages of the Blue Qur'an manuscript have survived, and these pages are scattered in various museums and private collections around the world. Five pages from the Blue Qur'an are scheduled to be exhibited at Zayed National Museum.
HeritageDaily, Newsweek, GreekReporter.com, and CNN Indonesia covered the findings, among other websites.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.