"Al Quran: Attraction of harmony"

October 2, at 14.00pm, a unique exhibition "Al Quran: Attraction of Harmony" from the collection of the Kazan Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve "Kazan Kremlin."  opens at  the Exhibition Hall  of  EGMZ. It is the best part of the rich collection historically significant and artistically decorated manuscripts and editions of the Arabic text of the Al Quran.

This unique collection began to take shape in 1995, when the first stone was laid in the construction of the mosque Kul Sharif. Since that time, the local population, as well as Tatar Muslims from other regions of Russia, began to donate future mosque pre-revolutionary editions of the Arabic text of the Qur'an, its interpretation in the Tatar language and theological books on Quranic sciences. They continue to come to this day.

Decoration of the collection consists of modern editions or facsimiles of ancient manuscripts of the Quran - the gifts from heads of state, political and religious leaders, prominent representatives of culture and science of the Muslim countries - Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, the Palestinian Authority, Iran and many others.

The exhibition opens by a facsimile edition of the manuscript 'Quran of Usman. "It is believed that its original, known as "Samarkandky", is one of the six oldest manuscripts of the Qur'anic text, made up  at the order of  Caliph Usman Righteous (644-656). With these six manuscripts (sent out to the main cities of Muslims: Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, Damascus) began dissemination of the written text of the Qur'an, which had previously been known only in oral form.

In addition, the exhibition presents a miniature Qurans  enclosed  in silver or silver plated boxes- "korannitsy" decorated with semiprecious stones or colored glass. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, korannitsy with the Qur'an  got a proliferation as  women's jewelry  and as an amulet. These "thimble   editions " contain the full text of Al Quran, which easily can be read with a magnifying glass. Some korannitsy initially supplemented by a magnifying glass, which is inserted instead of colored stones on cover or attached to korannitsy.

According to   the  legend, in Russia,  at the end of the XVIII century. miniature Koran with korannitsey used as a reward for the Muslims called up for military service. Empress Ekaterina II, knowing that distinguished Muslim soldiers should not be rewarded  by  cross (as Orthodox soldiers) introduced in the imperial army as an alternative  awarding a miniature Quran.

Old photographs taken with panoramic views of the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, where Al Quran had been revealed for the Prophet Muhammad are displayed  at the exhibition.

The exhibition is decorated by shamails of  Turkish calligraphers (hattat) and miniatures from the writings of the author of XIV century Darira Erzrumlu "Siyar al-Naby" (Tradition of the Prophet), dedicated to the different stages of the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

The exhibition "Al Quran: attraction of harmony" - the fourth in the framework of the project "Museum-Reserve" Kazan Kremlin"- museums of Tatarstan" in the year of the 20th anniversary of Kazan Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve "Kazan Kremlin."