Makkah’s Thousand-Year-Old Qur’an

posted on: Aug 5, 2026

By: Connor J. Buss / Arab America Contributing Writer

A Qur’an manuscript written over a thousand years ago by Ibn al-Bawwab has recently been put on display in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The display is part of the Iqra Exhibition at the Grand Mosque of Makkah, organized by the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Saudi Arabia.

The manuscript, written by famed calligrapher Ibn al-Bawwab (also known as Ali bin Hilal) near the turn of the 11^th century, is one of only two copies in the entire world. These particular copies by al-Bawwab are valued not just because of their age, but because of the unique artistry and decorative elements in the writing.

Accompanying the piece is a scholarly index explaining the significance of the calligraphy and ornamentation unique to the copy. The display also acts as a window into the past, allowing visitors to visualize how Arabic calligraphy and Islamic ornamentation has changed in the past millennia.

As aforementioned, there are only two copies of al-Bawwab’s Qur’an manuscripts still in existence. While this may seem like few at first, it actually highlights the care that has been put into preserving the holy script. One thousand years is an extremely long time, and the fact that there is not one, but two of the decorated manuscripts still around today is a feat that instills pride in the Muslim community worldwide.

The Exhibition

The manuscript is just the centerpiece of Makkah’s Iqra Exhibition. The exhibition was organized by the Presidency of Religious Affairs, an arm of the Saudi government. It is located at the Grand Mosque of Mecca (Masjid al-Haram), the largest, holiest, and most important Mosque in all of Islam.

The Iqra Exhibition was organized to enrich visitors’ understanding of the Qur’an’s history by showcasing historical, educational, and artistic documents like the manuscript. Specifically, the exhibition aims to illustrate the history and development of Qur’an transcriptions and Arabic calligraphy.

The exhibition also illustrates ongoing efforts to preserve the Qur’an’s heritage and introduce visitors to Islam’s culture and scholarly legacy dating back millennia.

In addition the thousand-year-old Qur’an manuscript, the exhibition also includes other displays of literature pertaining to Islam. These include calligraphic works and other historical pieces.

Wider Picture

The exhibition comes as part of a continued effort to preserve Islamic Art. The Arab world in particular has seen increased efforts by government bodies specifically to recognize and appreciate religious artwork and with this example, calligraphy. For example, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, otherwise known as Ithra, was created by state-owned petroleum company Saudi Aramco in 2016 to be an “ambitious initiative for the public.” Ithra is a cultural center focusing on Islamic arts and literature. The government petroleum company has stated that its aims are to “make a tangible and positive impact on human development by inspiring a passion for knowledge, creativity, and cross-cultural engagement for the future of the kingdom.”

The museum found great success since its founding, being listed in Time magazine as one of the world’s top 100 places to visit. It also achieved over one million visitors in 2019.

Additionally, the International Day of Islamic Art is a global holiday celebrated on November 18^th, with its founding occurring in 2019. The holiday’s founding was pushed by the Kingdom of Bahrain at the 40^th UNESCO General Conference as a proposal to raise awareness for artistic expression of Islamic arts.

The historical Qur’an at Iqra Exhibition marks a great milestone for Quranic art preservation. Behind its highlights of unique ornamental calligraphy lie a millennia efforts of care, still appreciated by visitors of any background.

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