DUBAI: A new book exploring 12 extraordinary Islamic manuscripts has been published with the intention of making these richly illustrated masterpieces accessible to all.
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“Illuminated: Art, Knowledge, and Wonder in Twelve Islamic Manuscripts,” published by Empty Quarter Press, showcases a dozen of the finest manuscripts ever produced, including the medieval Arab classics “Maqamat al-Hariri,” “Kalila wa Dimna,” “Aja’ib Al-Makhluqat Wa Ghara’ib Al-Mawjudat,” and “Kitab Al-Diryaq,” as well as spectacular works spanning the 13th to 17th century Timurid, Safavid, and Mughal worlds.
Its author, William Greenwood, is a specialist in Islamic art and culture. The featured manuscripts were valued as both vessels of knowledge and as artistic products in their own right. From medical treatises and celestial charts to epic poetry and fables, each manuscript reflects the diverse traditions of Islamic intellectual and artistic life.
'Maqamat Al Hariri' (circa 1236-37). (Supplied)
