Abu Dhabi, August 27: Treasures from Muslim history featuring rare copies of the Holy Quran are on show in Dubai till the end of October.
The Holy Quran Exhibition at the Gate Village (part of the Dubai International Financial Centre) was officially opened on Tuesday by Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).
The display includes some verses written in black ink on animal skin over 1,200 years ago. The parchments there are so fine they are see-through, while others are decorated with real gold and silver, gleaming strongly under the show lights.
Another show-stopper is a giant curtain that used to cover the doors of the Kaba, a small building in Makkah believed by Muslims to be the holiest point on Earth. The black curtain from the 1820s is laced with gold and silver threads, weaved into verses of the scripture. More recent sections of the Kaba cover – traditionally gifted to kings and lifetime devotees of Islam – are also on display.
The exhibition, part of the privately-owned The Farjam Collection, includes some of the only surviving manuscripts copied by Persian and Arab royals.
The display items will be changed now and then to let viewers get a fuller taste of the collection.
“The collection is mostly based in Dubai, privately. We’ve opened it to the public this Ramadan, which is very timely,” Emilie Faure, the collection and exhibitions manager.
“It also allows them to appreciate the art and effort that goes into calligraphy.”
A guided tour will be held next Wednesday at 1pm, while school programmes will start in October. The tour, exhibition, and all programmes are open to the public for free.
-Agencies