Saudi Arabia unveils rare 1,000-year-old Quran manuscript

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Public Library has revealed a 1,000-year-old manuscript titled “Gharib Al Quran”, authored by the early scholar Abu Ubaidah Mamar Ibn Al Muthanna.

The manuscript, dating to the fourth century, consists of 23 folios measuring 17 by 22 cm. It is written in clear Andalusian script, with the names of surahs inscribed in Kufic script, and remains an unpublished work in Quranic sciences.

The library said its collection includes a wide range of rare manuscripts on Quranic interpretation and linguistics, spanning several centuries.

Among them are works by Abu Ishaq Al Zajjaj and Ibn Qutaybah Al Dinawari, as well as parts of Tafsir al Tabari, copied in the sixth century. The archive holds more than 185 rare manuscripts on Quranic exegesis, alongside hundreds of texts covering recitation, grammar and interpretation.

The library said it aims to showcase its rare collections of manuscripts, documents, photographs, coins and artefacts, while opening new avenues for studying and engaging with heritage in its diverse forms. It also seeks to support academic research by making these rare manuscripts more accessible to scholars.