Reflecting on the Muṣhaf: An Exploration of Qur’anic Manuscripts
Join us to explore sacred writing, manuscripts of the Qur’an and the material form that the Qur’an has taken across historical periods, geographies, and cultural areas through images and the holdings of the Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center at the University of Chicago. Together we will consider the significance of size, writing material, script, layout, decoration, marginalia, and other material elements for Qur’anic codices and engagement with the Qur’anic text.
Saturday, April 12th, 2025
Session 1 | 10:30AM-12:30PM — We will meet at the Hanna Holborn Gray Special Meeting Research Center
Lunch included* | 12:30PM-1:30PM (SOLD OUT)
Session 2* | 1:30PM-3:30PM — Art of Illumination Workshop (SOLD OUT)
*Meeting Place: 5659 S Woodlawn Avenue (Private Residence)
Session 1 | 10:30AM - 12:30PM
This session will be presented by Evyn Kropf, Librarian for Middle Eastern & North African Studies and Religious Studies, and Curator of the Islamic Manuscripts Collection at The University of Michigan Library.
Evyn teaches, offers research guidance, and develops collections integral for representative scholarship related to the communities, cultures and languages of the Middle East (Southwest Asia), North Africa and their diasporas, as well as for the multidisciplinary study of religion. She also curates the Islamic Manuscripts Collection in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and lead workshops on Islamic manuscript culture.
Lunch | 12:30PM - 1:30PM (SOLD OUT)
Session 2 | 1:30PM - 3:30PM (SOLD OUT)
This session is an experiential workshop on the Art of Illumination.
Try your hand at some of the methods of this centuries-old art to create your own historical reproduction, while gaining a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship and detail behind each masterpiece. No prior experience is necessary.
* The above image of a Qur’anic Manuscript is from the Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center at the University of Chicago Library. This nineteenth century manuscript is for research and educational use only.