The Karahisari Imperial Quran — Full-Scale Museum Facsimile
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Description
From Private Collection ·
The final illuminated pages — Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Nas with ornate saz-style border medallions
Among the manuscripts preserved within Topkapi Palace, there is one that occupies a position unlike any other. It was commissioned by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, begun around 1545 by the calligrapher his contemporaries called Şemsü'l-Hat — the Sun of Calligraphy — and placed, upon its completion, in the same chamber as the Prophet Muhammad's own mantle.
Measuring 70 × 45 cm across 300 folios written in five distinct scripts — muhaqqaq, rayhani, thuluth, naskh, and tawqi — it is the largest Quran ever produced in the Ottoman world. Its creation spanned forty years and three sultanates, begun by Ahmed Karahisari and completed by his adopted son Hasan Çelebi, with illumination by the finest artists of the imperial nakkaşhane.
It remained in the Hırka-i Saadet — the Chamber of the Sacred Relics — for over four centuries, where 28 hafizes have maintained uninterrupted Quran recitation in rotating shifts for more than 500 years. In 2015, a full-scale facsimile was produced for the first time. This is now available exclusively through MeccaBooks.
Detail: Tezhip illumination in gold leaf, lapis lazuli, and crimson — the apex of Ottoman palace gilding art
The Calligrapher
Ahmed Şemseddin Karahisari (c. 1468–1556) is recognised alongside Shaykh Hamdullah and Hâfız Osman as one of the three supreme masters of Ottoman calligraphy. While Hamdullah created the distinctly Ottoman national style, Karahisari pursued a different path — reviving and refining the classical Abbasid tradition of Yaqut al-Musta'simi, the last great calligrapher of the Baghdad court.
His contemporaries honoured him with the title Yâkut-i Rûm — the Yaqut of Anatolia — and Şemsü'l-Hat, the Sun of Calligraphy. The Metropolitan Museum of Art identifies him among the most renowned artists of Suleyman's Golden Age, alongside the painter Kara Memi and architect Sinan.
Beyond calligraphy, Karahisari was a sheikh of the Khalwati Sufi Order. Sources describe him as a man of simple habits, modest living, love of the poor, and skill in poetry in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian. He died in 1556 with this manuscript unfinished — its colophon left blank — and the remaining folios were completed by his adopted son Hasan Çelebi, whom architect Mimar Sinan reportedly called "the Mecca of calligraphers."
Interior spread — five calligraphic scripts in hierarchical arrangement, every page illuminated
The Illumination
The illumination represents the apex of Ottoman tezhip. Every page was meticulously gilded in a palette dominated by gold and lapis lazuli, executed within the nakkaşhane — the imperial design workshop within Topkapi Palace. The manuscript bears the strong influence of Karamemi's style, with semi-naturalistic floral elements in the double tahrir technique alongside classical rumî and hatayî motifs.
Illuminated elements include zahriye (decorative facing pages), serlevha (the most lavishly decorated opening pages), surah-beginning panels, marginal güller, koltuk side panels, and durak verse markers — incorporating the richest examples of Ottoman palace gilding art. The manuscript was featured in the 2016 Smithsonian exhibition The Art of the Qur'an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and most recently in the Mushafs of the Sultans exhibition at Istanbul's Rami Library.
"The single most important Ottoman Quran, housed in the most sacred room of the most important Ottoman palace, written by the calligrapher his contemporaries called the Sun."
Topkapi Palace Museum Library · Hırka-i Saadet No. 5
Watch the Manuscript
A closer look at the calligraphy, illumination, and presentation of the facsimile edition
Edition Particulars
Publisher
Klasik Türk Sanatları Vakfı
Foundation for Classical Turkish Arts, Istanbul
Foundation for Classical Turkish Arts, Istanbul
Dimensions
70 × 45 cm
Actual manuscript scale
Actual manuscript scale
Weight
20 kg
Binding
Gilt-embossed leather
Companion Volume
The Sun of Calligraphy
Prof. Muhittin Serin · Trilingual (EN / AR / TR)
Prof. Muhittin Serin · Trilingual (EN / AR / TR)
Presentation
Fitted leather wrapped wooden carrying case with handles
Scripts
Muhaqqaq, Rayhani, Thuluth, Naskh, Tawqi
Original
Topkapi Palace Museum Library
Hırka-i Saadet, No. 5
Hırka-i Saadet, No. 5
Provenance
Private collection
Not available elsewhere
Not available elsewhere
Gilt-embossed leather binding with fitted velvet-lined leather wrapped wooden carrying case with handles
The complete offering: facsimile Quran, scholarly companion volume, and presentation case
Shipping & Handling
Fully insured shipping. Dispatched within one business day. Signature required upon delivery.
Acquisition
This copy was acquired from a private collection and is not currently available through any other channel. Enquiries are welcomed from collectors and institutions.
About the Contributor(s)
About the authors
Ahmed Semseddin Karahisari: Ahmed Semseddin Karahisari rahimahullah (d. 963 AH / 1556 CE) was the preeminent Ottoman calligrapher of the sixteenth century and a master of all six classical Arabic scripts. Born in Afyonkarahisar in Anatolia, he trained under Esseyyid Kasim Gubari in Istanbul and refined his art within the tradition established by Shaykh Hamdullah. He rose to serve as the principal calligrapher at the Ottoman imperial court under Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. His greatest achievement is the monumental imperial Qur'an - the Karahisari Mushaf - commissioned by Sultan Suleyman and now preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul. This manuscript, adorned with exquisite illuminations by the court's master illuminators, is regarded as one of the supreme achievements of Ottoman Qur'anic calligraphy. Karahisari's style was distinguished by its bold, independent approach that departed from the Hamdullah school, establishing its own aesthetic legacy.
Hasan Celebi: Hasan Celebi was a sixteenth-century Ottoman calligrapher trained under Ahmed Semseddin Karahisari, the greatest master of Ottoman Qur'anic calligraphy of his era. As Karahisari's adopted son and foremost student, Hasan Celebi inherited his teacher's refined approach to the six classical scripts. When Karahisari passed away in 963 AH / 1556 CE before fully completing the imperial Qur'an commissioned by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, Hasan Celebi is reported to have worked on the manuscript, continuing the calligraphic tradition of his master. His contribution places him among the distinguished artisans whose collective effort produced the Karahisari Mushaf, now considered one of the masterpieces of Ottoman Islamic art.
About the commentator
Muhittin Serin: Muhittin Serin hafidhahullah is a leading Turkish academic in the field of Islamic calligraphy, holding a professorship at Marmara University in Istanbul. He has devoted his scholarly career to researching Ottoman and Islamic manuscript traditions, with particular focus on the history of Qur'anic calligraphy and the classical Arabic scripts. His publications include works on Ottoman calligraphers and the development of the art of hat (calligraphy) in Turkey. He contributed scholarly commentary to the full-scale museum facsimile of the Karahisari Imperial Qur'an, providing academic context for one of the most significant Qur'anic manuscripts in the Topkapi Palace Museum collection.
About the illustrator
Karamemi: Karamemi rahimahullah (fl. mid-16th century CE), also known as Kara Memi, was the foremost illuminator of the Ottoman imperial court and served as nakkasbasi - chief of the palace design workshops (nakkashane) - under Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. He is credited with the illumination of some of the most celebrated manuscripts of the Suleymanid era, including the monumental Karahisari Mushaf commissioned by the sultan. Karamemi's distinctive naturalistic floral style, featuring saz leaves, tulips, hyacinths, and carnations rendered with extraordinary refinement, transformed Ottoman illumination and influenced generations of court artists. His work on the Karahisari Qur'an represents one of the highest expressions of Ottoman manuscript art.
About the artists
Ahmed Semseddin Karahisari: Ahmed Semseddin Karahisari rahimahullah (d. 963 AH / 1556 CE) was the preeminent Ottoman calligrapher of the sixteenth century and a master of all six classical Arabic scripts. Born in Afyonkarahisar in Anatolia, he trained under Esseyyid Kasim Gubari in Istanbul and refined his art within the tradition established by Shaykh Hamdullah. He rose to serve as the principal calligrapher at the Ottoman imperial court under Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. His greatest achievement is the monumental imperial Qur'an - the Karahisari Mushaf - commissioned by Sultan Suleyman and now preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul. This manuscript, adorned with exquisite illuminations by the court's master illuminators, is regarded as one of the supreme achievements of Ottoman Qur'anic calligraphy. Karahisari's style was distinguished by its bold, independent approach that departed from the Hamdullah school, establishing its own aesthetic legacy.
Hasan Celebi: Hasan Celebi was a sixteenth-century Ottoman calligrapher trained under Ahmed Semseddin Karahisari, the greatest master of Ottoman Qur'anic calligraphy of his era. As Karahisari's adopted son and foremost student, Hasan Celebi inherited his teacher's refined approach to the six classical scripts. When Karahisari passed away in 963 AH / 1556 CE before fully completing the imperial Qur'an commissioned by Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, Hasan Celebi is reported to have worked on the manuscript, continuing the calligraphic tradition of his master. His contribution places him among the distinguished artisans whose collective effort produced the Karahisari Mushaf, now considered one of the masterpieces of Ottoman Islamic art.
Specifications
EAN 13 / ISBN
9786058572416
Binding
Gilt-Embossed Leather
Publisher
Klasik Türk Sanatları Vakfı
Author
Ahmed Semseddin Karahisari and Hasan Celebi
Pages
600
Commentator
Muhittin Serin
Editor
Ahmet Ozel
Year Published
2015
Size
W-45 cm | H-70 cm | D-9 cm
Shipping & returns
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