Researchers at the Zayed National Museum (ZNM) in Abu Dhabi have discovered characters hidden beneath intricate gold leaf patterns on a page of the Blue Quran.
According to Newsweek , the Blue Quran is a ninth-century manuscript known for its indigo-dyed sheepskin pages, gold Kufic script, and silver embellishments.
Nurul Iman Bint Rusli, curator at ZNM, stressed the importance of new technology in uncovering these hidden layers of history. 'Only one copy of the Blue Quran is known to exist, and the 100 or so pages that have been discovered so far are enough to fascinate scholars for decades.'
"Advanced technology has been used to unravel the contents of this manuscript page and is helping to shed new light on the process of creating such rare manuscripts of the Blue Quran."
The Blue Quran is a ninth-century book. (Photo: Newsweek).
When technology and art meet
Using advanced multispectral imaging technology, the team discovered verses from Surah al-Nisa that had been hidden deep beneath the motifs for centuries . This provides new insights into the process of creating Islamic texts and the art of early calligraphers.
The Blue Quran, dating from 800-900 AD, originally consisted of 600 pages. Today, only about 100 pages are known to exist, scattered in private collections and museums around the world. The exact origin of the text remains the subject of much debate, with North Africa, Iraq, or Andalusia considered the most likely locations.
And these findings are significant because advanced multispectral imaging technology allows researchers to detect many texts and images that are invisible to the naked eye.
Analysis shows that the intricate gold leaf patterns are not only decorative but also intended to conceal some of the calligrapher's mistakes.
This error may have been a duplicated verse that was covered up by painting over it, rather than being corrected by replacing the page. It is understandable that given the high cost of creating an indigo-dyed palimpsest, replacing the page would have been expensive and impractical.
This method of correction thus offers a rare glimpse into the decision-making process of the original manuscript's creators, a subject rarely explored in the history of Islamic art.
Mai Al Mansouri, Deputy Curator at ZNM, also stressed that these discoveries demonstrate the importance of the Blue Quran, not only as a religious text but also as an artistic and historical artifact, reflecting the connections between Muslim civilizations.
The Kufic script of the Blue Quran, one of the oldest styles of Arabic calligraphy, further emphasizes its historical significance. Characterized by angular, geometric shapes, Kufic lacks the dots and diacritics that modern readers perceive as characters.
Despite its aesthetic value, the complexity of the script makes it difficult to interpret the ancient characters today. The museum's research project and the new findings on this manuscript page therefore contribute to a deeper understanding of early Islamic art and the transmission of knowledge between cultures.
