Lot 453 AN ILLUMINATED ANAM-I SHARIF, TURKEY 18TH CENTURY

A finely illuminated Arabic manuscript, written in black ink using Naskh script, featuring 9 lines per page. Text divisions are marked by gold roundels accented with blue dots. The manuscript opens with an illuminated frontispiece; surah headings are inscribed in black ink within gold-ground cartouches, surrounded by polychrome floral decoration. The text is ruled in gold and black and includes 15 fully illuminated pages. Bound in brown morocco with gilt-stamped medallions and a fore-edge flap. Dimensions: 11 × 16 cm

This beautifully decorated manuscript is a compilation of Arabic and Ottoman Turkish prayers. It begins with Surahs al-Fatiha, al-An‘am, Ya-Sin, al-Fath, al-Waqi‘ah, al-Mulk, al-Naba’, al-Nasr, al-Ikhlas, and al-Nas. These are followed by two prayers for the completion of Qur’anic recitation (Du‘a al-Khatm al-Qur’an), the 99 Beautiful Names of God (Asma’ al-Husna), the Hilya (description) of the Prophet, a variety of supplications in both Arabic and Ottoman Turkish, Nada ‘Ali, and selected shorter verses from the Qur’an.