“We are deeply impressed”, – Irina Osmanova

Irina Osmanova, Senior Researcher of the Department of Eastern Religions at the State Museum of the History of Religion (Russia, Saint Petersburg):

I am deeply impressed. At the Expert Council, our project was dedicated to the facsimile edition of the Uthman Qur’an — the Samarkand Kufic manuscript. This facsimile edition was produced in Saint Petersburg in 1905, in 50 copies. Our project is specifically aimed at creating a virtual map of the distribution of these facsimile copies. At present, 23 copies are known. They are preserved in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Uzbekistan, Berlin, the USA, Azerbaijan, and even in the UAE.

 

There is also information that one copy is in the United Kingdom, and there are reports that another might be preserved in Turkey. The facsimile copies were made from the original manuscript, which is kept in the Qur’an Hall of the Center for Islamic Civilization as its main exhibit. Speaking of my impressions, this is not our first visit here. The last time we came was in March, and back then it felt as though much work was still left before the opening. But now, in September, with the opening just around the corner, I think everything is prepared very appropriately and at a high level. The exhibition is already fully ready. We are deeply impressed.