Islamic Quran Manuscripts

Timeline

1. 650–750Damascus · LevantIn the Umayyad period, systematic standards for copying and recitation took shape in centers such as Damascus; early scripts such as Kufic are attested in surviving fragments and documentary records.
2. 800–1200Baghdad · MesopotamiaAbbasid Baghdad became a gathering place for masters of copying and calligraphy; scripts such as naskh matured, and court patronage advanced the arts of illumination and binding.
3. 1391–1400Cairo and Herat · Islamic worldIn the late 14th century, scriptoria in Mamluk Egypt and Timurid Khurasan continued to produce richly decorated Quran manuscripts, which circulated across the regions of the Islamic world through the hajj and trade routes.