Manuscript Scroll of Holy Qur’an preserved in Niavaran Royal Palace Museum
Manuscript Scroll Qur’an in Ghobar Script
Date of Calligraphy: Qajar Period
Calligrapher: Unknown
This exquisite handwritten scroll of the Holy Qur’an, measuring 5.5 meters in length and 9 centimeters in width, is a unique manuscript preserved at the Niavaran Cultural Historic Complex.
The manuscript features intricate artistic elements including an illuminated frontispiece, gold-inked rectangular frames, and gilded floral patterns throughout the text. In addition to the full Qur’anic text, the calligrapher has also written Salawat, the names of Prophet Muhammad, Hazrat Fatemeh, and Twelve Imams.
About Ghobar Calligraphy
Ghobar Script (Minute Script) is an extremely fine and miniature style of calligraphy that emerged from Riyasi Script in the 3rd century 9th century. It was primarily developed in Iran to save space and writing materials, and was commonly used for brief notes carried by carrier pigeons.
Later, this script was adopted for writing miniature Qur’ans and devotional texts. Due to its scale, the script demands great precision in eyesight, control in hand movement, and the use of ultra-fine pen nibs. While extremely small, Ghobar maintains the full aesthetic of traditional calligraphy, and under magnification, its elegance and shape resemble those of Thuluth and Naskh calligraphy.
Video produced in Documentation Unit by Karim Sabbaghi
Content by Neda Shanaqi (Head of Niavaran Royal Palace Museum)
Special thanks to Azin Sobati (Curator, Niavaran Royal Palace Museum)