The Taksim Mosque Culture and Art Center hosted a significant exhibition showcasing the copies of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, from all over the world with its historical, artistic and soul-stirring Quranic messages from Jan. 12 to 15.

The Quran collection, including original and facsimile editions, dating from the Golden Age of Islam to the present day, was brought together in a single exhibition. Collected from 44 countries, these Qurans not only demonstrate the Islamic art used in writing the Quran but also present 114 concepts from 114 verses of the Quran, each in English and Turkish, in front of each copy. The texts written about the concepts in the Holy Quran include qualities and situations that should be embraced and avoided to become a perfect human being, such as justice, loyalty, sincerity, benevolence, patience, charity, tawhid, distancing oneself from wrongdoing and many more.

Quran through time

Curator Adem Mırat, stating that the exhibition installation was carried out according to the chronological order of the Mushafs, noted that the exhibition begins with a facsimile version of the Mushaf, which is the oldest Mushaf and attributed to the time of Uthman bin Affan, famously remembered as one of the richest and most generous companions of the Prophet Muhammad and the third Rashidun caliph, who ruled from 644 to 656, and concludes with the Mushaf written by calligrapher Hamit Aytaç. Mırat stated that they also made an effort to include Mushafs of important figures in Ottoman calligraphy history in the exhibition and that they selected a verse from the Holy Quran for each Mushaf. Stating that visitors have the opportunity to see selected copies of the Quran from different regions of the world in an exhibition, Mırat said that important examples of Qurans from many geographies, from the deserts of Africa to Asia, are on display.

The history of the Qurans in the exhibition dates back to the seventh century. The first Quran in the exhibition was commissioned by Caliph Uthman and preserved during the caliphate of Umar. After the death of Umar, this Quran was passed to his daughter Hafsa, the wife of Prophet Muhammad, and in 645, Caliph Uthman received this Quran from Hafsa and had it copied.

The exhibition features Mushafs from various periods, including those by Ibn al-Bawwab, the "Six Styles of Calligraphy, the Mushaf of Yaqut al-Musta'simi," the Mushaf written by Sheikh Hamdullah during the Ottoman era, the Mushaf written by Hafiz Osman, who brought the Ottoman period to its peak, one of the Mushafs written by Hasan Rıza, one of the most prolific calligraphers, and Mushafs written by Hamit Aytaç and Mustafa Halim Özerci during the Republican era. Also, the 10-volume Istanbul Mushaf, created at the request of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, focuses on the entire history and geography of Islam from the Golden Age to the present day, and was prepared over nine years by calligrapher Hüseyin Kutlu and his team of 66 people.

The general coordinator of the exhibition, Abdullah Dide Şentürk, the founder of Mynameislam, the civil society platform that organized the exhibition, said the idea for the exhibition began with acquiring a Mushaf. Şentürk, who has been reading the Quran for years, says he never paid so much attention to the importance and special nature of Mushafs.

He described the process as follows: "A friend told me about a Mushaf related to Sheikh Hamdullah. Then I saw five works written by calligraphers such as Ahmet Karahisari and Şekerzade Seyyid Mehmed Efendi. After acquiring one of these, I became curious about other works and started collecting Mushafs. Because we held children's festivals abroad, we traveled to many countries for these festivals. We started acquiring Mushafs from there as well. Besides Mushafs, I started acquiring wooden tablets named 'luh' on which verses from the Quran are written, used by students learning and memorizing the Quran in Africa. Friends who traveled to different parts of the world started bringing Mushafs. Then, as I accumulated works by masters who wrote calligraphy both domestically and internationally, the idea of an exhibition began to form.”

114 surahs, 114 concepts

Şentürk, who initially started with the idea of a project covering seven continents and 77 countries, decided to change the project idea to five continents and 55 countries when collecting Mushafs from Australia and the Americas proved difficult. Later, he said they decided to develop the project with 114 Mushafs, since there are 114 surahs in the Quran. The Mushaf collection process continued. Şentürk explains that while developing the project, he thought it would be more appropriate to present the Mushafs in the exhibition not only with important elements of Islamic art such as illumination, calligraphy, leather binding and paper type, but also with Quranic concepts. He then changed the project concept to "114 Mushafs, 114 Concepts" to incorporate the Quran into one's whole life.

Şentürk states that they associated each Mushaf example with a concept, matching them with concepts found in the 114 surahs.

He also mentions that some masters did not have Mushafs, so they included them in the public and private collections. Şentürk stated that they included works that only included Juz of Surah al-Yasin and Juz of Amme and that there are 119 works in total in the exhibition.

He explained that they selected a concept for each surah and wrote what the Quran wants to say with that concept. For example, the concept of steadfastness in Surah Al-Imran, the concept of justice in Surah An-Nisa, the concept of loyalty in Surah An-Nisa, the concept of reliance on Allah in Surah Yunus, the concept of patience in Surah Hud, the concept of blessing in Surah Isra, the concept of mercy (rahmat) in Surah Al-Falah are among those 114 concepts in the exhibition.

Şentürk summarized the important works included in the project, explaining: "We have a work from 1698, a Quran written in Latin script printed in Hamburg under the Latin title 'Al Corani.' Among our handwritten works, we have a manuscript written in Chad. We have a Mushaf written by a calligrapher named Ibn-ul-Bawwab. He wrote the first Quran with vowel markings, a system that had been discovered before. We have a facsimile edition of the original work by this calligrapher in Ireland. We have Qurans from almost all of our calligraphers from the Ottoman era. There are 114 Qurans from 26 countries in total, from different parts of the world, from African countries, Morocco, Yemen and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The exhibition also includes various calligraphic works, decrees and edicts. The three-part artwork, crafted with turquoise and various other stones in Egypt, features inscriptions of the Surahs al-Falaq, al-Nas and al-Ikhlas. There are also very special miniature copies of the Quran inside a glass case. These are generally handwritten and printed on leather. Additionally, for five days, there will be evening talks by the scholars involved in this project. We requested that scholars like Muhammet Abay, who works at the Directorate of Religious Affairs, make a Quran recitation.

"There is also work attributed to the era of Caliph Uthman. We have copies of the Quran. The exhibition includes facsimile editions shared by both the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) and the Center for Islamic Studies (ISAM). But most of our facsimile editions are now rare, as only around a thousand copies are produced. I wanted Mehmet Şevki Efendi's Quran to be included in the collection, but its launch hasn't happened yet. I'm saddened that Mehmet Şevki Efendi's Quran isn't here. But it will be included in the exhibition we plan to hold at Çamlıca Mosque on Feb. 28.”

Şentürk stated that while it's possible to hold this exhibition abroad, transporting so many works and implementing this concept isn't easy. He emphasized that they are not doing this for commercial purposes, noting that the collection belongs to Mynameislam and that they will not do this for monetary gain, and that they can open the exhibition to anyone who requests it under suitable conditions.

Quran-based solutions to problems

Şentürk stated that within 15-20 days, a Quran museum will open in Sultanahmet Square, in collaboration with the Kim Foundation, which explains Islam to tourists. The museum, covering 33 square meters, will feature 33 copies of the Quran and will operate for a year. He explained that the project aims to attract tourists' attention with the Quran, encourage them to enter the madrassa, and connect them with individuals who explain the Islamic faith. He also mentioned a study on the concepts of guidance specifically designed for the 33 copies of the Quran. Initially, they planned to conduct this project in Üsküdar, where young people and families are concentrated. They initially focused on 33 concepts related to the problems faced by young people, including 33 concepts related to marriage.

While this study couldn't be realized in Üsküdar, they are planning to realize this exhibition. Şentürk stated that they plan to hold similar exhibitions every year and add other works to the collections, expressing their desire to work on different topics. He mentioned their intention to address the theme of transformation, aiming to distract people from their problems and offer them insights into them. Şentürk explained that they want to explore concepts that can provide solutions to the problems of everyone from 7 to 70 years old, focusing on the concepts used in the Quran to build human beings, addressing the problems pointed out by psychologists, and exploring a transformation process inspired by the Quran's approach in their exhibitions. Şentürk also mentioned that for their next exhibition, they might use an installation model similar to the shape of a snail's shell, where people can move around. He stated that they aim to expand their work further if they receive halal sponsorship from within Türkiye or abroad, and that they could also conduct a traveling exhibition in schools, using the Quran along with Islamic concepts and educational concepts that are being weakened, to improve children's mental foundations.

Throughout the exhibition, the hall where the works are displayed will host talks and stage performances exploring various aspects of the relationship with the Quran.