Exhibitions

The Art of the Qur'an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

October 22, 2016 – February 20, 2017

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
1050 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC

Sackler Main galleries

See on Map Floor Plan

In recognition of one of the world’s extraordinary collections of Qur’ans, the Freer|Sackler is hosting a landmark exhibition, the first of its kind in the United States. Almost seventy of the most sumptuous manuscripts from Herat to Istanbul are featured in The Art of the Qur’an. Celebrated for their superb calligraphy and lavish illumination, these manuscripts play a significant role in the history of the arts of the book in the Islamic world. They were once the prized possessions of Ottoman sultans and the ruling elite, who donated their Qur’ans to various institutions to express their personal piety and secure political power. Each manuscript tells a unique story, which is explored in this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition.