Smithsonian will mount first major Qur'an exhibit in U.S.

(The Christian Science Monitor) The Qur'an will be the centerpiece of an American art exhibit for the first time this fall, when the Smithsonian will feature beautifully decorated manuscripts of Islam’s central religious text.

“The Art of the Qur'an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts” will display 48 manuscripts and folios that span a millennium, from the seventh to the 17th century, and demonstrate a staggering variety of calligraphy and illumination styles.

The Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery announced Tuesday that the exhibit will open on October 15, in the final weeks of the presidential campaign, and run until February 20. At a time when Islam and the Qur'an are often referenced in political debate in relation to terrorism, museum curators believe the exhibit will inspire discussion of the book's artistic and historical value.