In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The MercifuI

The Holy Qur'an is a Divine Scripture as well as a miracle performed by the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) supporting the Muslims of the world like a firm cable in their way to Salvation. This Holy Book, being indeed a peerless scripture in the field of eloquence with its rich and excellent contents relating to subjects about legal sermons, civil and penal precepts, has undoubtedly had a great influence on man's civilization including his knowledge and skill
The Holy verses of the Glorious Qur'an have frequently been inscribed with different letters and characters, from the time His Holiness the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) ordered the Scribes of the Revelation to register and inscribe the divine revelations on some natural objects like the leaves of date palms, stone tablets, on hide (leather), wood and on the camel scapular or that of the sheep, to the emergence of the print in the forms of lithography, typography and planography...
Thus the Islamic calligraphy was chronologically used in the writing of the Qur'anic verses, leaving a deep impression on the evolution of Kufic, Tholth, Naskh, Mohaqqaq, Reyhan, Riqa', and Ghobar inscriptions. Likewise Nasta'liq developed due to its application in the domain of writing the Qur'anic verses.
In addition to all this, such a sacred Islamic enterprise caused the appearing of some native and local inscriptions like Baburi characters in the sub-continent of India. Despite the influential unique role of inscribing the Qura'nic verses, facts should not be ignored that the different aspects and fields of the phenomenon of writing the Holy verses of the Glorious Qur'an.
The early illuminations and decorating of the pages of the Holy Book were relatively simple and unadorned. In order to make the rubrics of the Holy Chapters (Sura's) of the Qur'an and the existing spaces between the verses distinctive, some natural substances like saffron and herbal dyes were used as decorative elements.
Near the end of he fourth century (A.H.) and since the early years of the fifth century (A.H.) the phenomenon of illumination rapidly evolved to perfection in connection with the decoration of the Qur'anic verses.
Elegant instances regading the art of book gilding and some decorative aspects observable in the precious copies of the Holy Qur'an can be mentioned as follows: lllumination, Tarsee, Tahrir, Tash'ir, Botormeh, Coupled Tables, 3 Tahreer and Dawaleh, Chain- work Kamands, Rubrics and some other designs.
Such instances of illumination were primarily used for decorating copies of the Holy Qur'an, and thence they appeared in other manuscripipts or printed writings.
The efforts made by the proficient illuminators in the field of decorating copies of the Glorious Qur'an caused the creation and emergence of hundreds of extremely exquisite copies of this Holy Scripture.
These are undoubtedly counted as feats and masterpieces existing in the Islamic art. Anciently the Jewish and Christian artists tried to imitate and use the same designs and patterns of the Qur'anic decorations in different copies of the Bible and Gospel.
In addition to all this, the artifice of the book-binding and the cover-furnishing began to develop in the field of the Islamic art. The book-binders endeavoured much in order to preserve copies of the Holy Qur'an safe and sound against damages and decadences. Thus other coming generations could easily benefit from those Divine copies.
On the basis of the blessings existing in the Holy Qur'an and the true faith of the Muslims to this Holy Scripture,various firm and beautiful bindings as Sukht,Mo'arraq, Roghani, Marghash and the like were skilfully made, of which some have been known as indisputable artisic manifestations found in the history of the Islamic art and in the bookbinding.
Thus large groups of skilled paper - manufacturers, calligraphers, illuminators and book- binders gathered round the dazzling light of the Glorious Qur'an.
They created and developed the phenomenon of recording and decorating the Holy Qur'anic verses.
The outcome of their struggle was not only restricted to the domain of the preparing precious copies of ordinary books, but they succeeded in providing many hundred exquisite copies of the Glorious Qur'an in the history of the Islamic civilization.
At present tens of such indisputable artistic instance are being preserved in the Qur'an Treasury of Astan Quds Razavi,Mashhad,Iran. Here some golden leaves of this big tree of the Islamic art are within reach of and available for the people interested in witnessing them.