The 32nd Doha International Book Fair currently being held at Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre (DECC) features a collection of rare Holy Qur'an versions at the artistic level, in terms of calligraphy, writing and historical value.
One of the most outstanding series of the Holy Qur'an made by Syrian artist Mohamed Mahir Hadri is written on black velvet cloth in a style of covering threads of the holy Ka'aba.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), calligrapher and embroiderer Hadri said he had innovated a new style in writing, using thread and sewing machine, a new method which is globally unknown in writing the Holy Qur'an, and added that he had entirely completed the Holy Qur'an written by thread and sewing machine for the first time in the world. He pointed out that the overall weight of the Holy Qur'an is 200kg with the dimension of roughly one metre high and half a metre wide per page, and said it took 12 years to be accomplished, with each volume containing two and half parts, while the page itself includes 15 paragraphs.
He added that the Holy Qur'an is like the predominant copies that were written through Ottoman calligraphy, and emphasised that the value of the Holy Qur'an prompted him to participate in many international book fairs, as it is worth QR100,000. He noted his interest in utilising embroidery to decorate the frames of the Holy Qur'an's pages through counting on many decorative schools, and indicated that each volume depended on an artistic decorative school and dominated by Levantine school, Turkish, Moroccan, and others, and outlined that the copy of the Holy Qur'an was edited and revised by official authorities.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohamed al-Yaqoubi from Dar al-Ihsan for Publishing and Distribution in Iran has said the publishing house is showcasing a set of rare Holy Qur'an versions with a history of more than 500 years at the book fair.
