Illuminated Qurans from Oman

This book is a first attempt to present Omani Quranic manuscripts and their illuminations to a wider public and to discuss their originality in the wider context of Quranic manuscripts, Islamic art as a whole and beyond that in the wider context of Oriental art in general.
The art of Quran illumination developed slowly. The main reason for this lengthy process can be seen in the fear of allowing anything to intrude upon the text, which in itself differs highly from the holy texts of other religions. For a Muslim the Quran is the word of God revealed to mankind. It constitutes a kind of Divine presence. This Divine presence had theoretically to be the only source of inspiration for the artists who wrote, illuminated and embellished the Quranic text. It cannot be “polluted” with pictures of Holy figures, special events or so on.