Quran manuscript in Maghrebi script in Qatar National Library

The Heritage Library of the Qatar National Library (QNL) has a collection of ancient and rare books, manuscripts and artworks including a precious Quran copy in Maghrebi script.

The Heritage Library of the Qatar National Library (QNL) has a collection of ancient and rare books, manuscripts and artworks including a precious Quran copy in Maghrebi script.

According to al-Sharq website, the Quranic work is believed to date back to the period of the Nasrid dynasty which was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula in the 14th century.

Maghrebi (or Maghribi) script is a cursive form of the Arabic alphabet influenced by Kufic letters that developed in the Maghreb (North Africa) and later in Spain, particularly Andalusia.

The Quran copy written in gold and illuminated in Arabesque style is one of the only two copies known around the world of this kind of manuscript.

Previously known as the Arab and Islamic Heritage Library, this collection was begun by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani in 1979, and was integrated into QNL in 2012.

The Heritage Library provides an extensive range of historical sources about Qatar and the region, including writings by travelers and explorers who visited the Persian Gulf region over the centuries, Arabic manuscripts, historical maps and globes, as well as scientific instruments and early photographs.