Dubai, Sep 17th, 2009 (WAM): A team of calligraphers in Dubai worked three days and nights writing the entire book of Holy Quran by hand to produce one of the rare copies of the last divine scripture.
The stunning hand-written marvel will be kept as an artifact at the UAE Museum. At a special ceremony held at the Zabeel Palace in Dubai, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Finance Minister HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured the team of calligraphers and the jury who testified to the authenticity and standard of the inscription of holy verses. Minister of health HE Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali, Minister of Education HE Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami and Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development HE Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Oweis were present at the ceremony. Al Oweis explained to Sheikh Hamdan the ink, the surface and the tools the calligraphers used to write the Holy Book with accuracy and beauty. Sheikh Hamdan was highly fascinated by this work of dedication and passion. Calligraphy Holy Quran is a rare achievement in the religious heritage of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Hamdan said. He hailed the efforts of the calligraphers who demonstrated intense emotional involvement and meticulous coordination to produce the copy within such a short span of time. The writing of the Holy Book by hand was performed within the events of a Ramadan forum for Quranic calligraphy held in Dubai. Al Oweis thanked Sheikh Hamdan for his warm reception of the team members. 'This embodies the care and attention given by His Highness to the heritage of UAE and its culture', said Al Oweis. The rare copy is prepared adopting the style of the Mus-haf of the Madinat Al Munawara. The copy has been handed over to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development. Before the advent of the printing technology, each copy of the Noble Book was calligraphered, a process that took several months to accomplish. During the period of the third Caliph of Islam, Othman, seven copies of the Holy Book were prepared, according historians. Out of these, one was sent to Makkah al-Mukarramah, one to Syria, one to Yemen, one to Bahrain, one to Basra and one to Kufah, and one was preserved in Madinah al-Munawarah.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2009.
