By Anzal Amin
RAWALPINDI: An exhibition of ancient Quranic manuscripts and works of renowned calligrapher Muhammad Azeem Iqbal based on Prophet Era organized by Punjab Arts Council and Khaneh Farhang Iran Rawalpindi, has come to an end in connection with the holy month of Ramadan.
Senior Vice President Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Zeba Naz visited the exhibition along-with Naheed Manzoor and Director Waqar Ahmad. The exhibition contained 700-year-old Quranic manuscripts.
Addressing the closing ceremony, the PML-Q leader said that the exhibition of manuscripts of Holy Quran is a source of spiritual joy and a manifestation of the common property of Muslims. She said that promotion of mutual harmony and tolerance among Muslims was essential in the current situation and Punjab Arts Council Rawalpindi had played an important role in this regard.
Zeba Naz said that after seeing more than 50 works of calligraphic art by Muhammad Azeem Iqbal, the memory of the Prophet’s era is also refreshed because this calligrapher has tried to fill his works with the same color as at that time where so many facilities were not available and the Qur’an was preserved by writing on whatever was available.
Naheed Manzoor said that seeing the exhibition refreshed the faith of a Muslim. Looking at such ancient Qur’anic manuscripts, it is clear that even then, artists were putting their talents to good use. She appreciated the efforts of Khaneh Farhang Iran on the marvelous exhibition.
Director Arts Council Waqar Ahmad said that the purpose of holding this exhibition is to honor the Holy Quran and to promote and expand the Quranic culture and concepts and to create a spiritual atmosphere for the promotion of love and affection with the Quran.
Forty-one manuscripts were displayed in this exhibition and these manuscripts were presented to the public for the first time. Most of the Qur’anic manuscripts were mostly four hundred years old and were handwritten. The calligraphy of the copies of the Holy Quran was very beautiful and some of them were decorated with gold water and other colors and some of them were also decorated with flowers. The exhibition which lasted for a week ended on Wednesday.
