Eight Qur’an pages written in Kufic script were purchased for the Center of Islamic Civilization

🔴 When and where did the Kufic script emerge?

🔴 What types of Kufic script exist?

🔴 Where is this style of writing mainly found?

The Kufic script appeared at the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century in the city of Kufa, located in present-day Iraq. Since this style of writing developed specifically in that city, it was named “Kufic”. It originated from the Nabataean script of Arabic writing.

The Kufic script is based on geometric shapes, distinguished by rectangular, firm, and precise letter structures. In this script, horizontal lines are usually written longer than vertical ones. In some variations, the letters are decorated with flowers, plants, and geometric patterns, which are known as “floral Kufic”.

Dots and diacritical marks are often not used in this script, making it more difficult to read. The Kufic script has several forms and styles:

• Simple Kufic — the earliest and plainest form.
• Floral Kufic — letters decorated with flowers and plants.
• Geometric Kufic — letters inscribed in geometric shapes.
• Interlaced Kufic — letters appear intertwined with one another.
• Eastern Kufic — a distinctive style developed in Iran and Central Asia.

Kufic script was initially used for copying the Qur’an. The earliest manuscripts of the Qur’an were written in Kufic script. It was also widely used as architectural decoration on the walls of mosques, palaces, and other buildings, as well as on coins and vessels.

From the 12th century, Kufic gradually began to lose its importance. The emergence of new scripts such as Naskh, Muhaqqaq, and Nasta’līq, which were easier to read, limited the use of Kufic. However, it did not disappear completely. It continued to be employed in architecture, especially for inscribing verses, hadiths, and wise sayings on madrasas, mausoleums, and other structures built in Samarkand, Bukhara, Shahrisabz, Termez, and elsewhere.

Some of the most famous Qur’an manuscripts written in Kufic script include:

⚫️ The “Blue Qur’an” written in Tunisia;
⚫️ The Mushaf of ʿAli ibn Abi Talib;
⚫️ The Katta Langar Qur’an.

On May 1, 2025, at the Christie’s auction in London, eight Qur’an pages written in Kufic script were purchased for the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan. This event illustrates how widely Kufic script spread throughout the Muslim East.

Kufic script also entered Central Asia, including the territory of Uzbekistan, in the 8th century together with the teachings of Islam. Among the documents related to the Sogdian ruler Devashtich discovered near Mount Mug, close to Samarkand, examples written in Kufic script were also found.

Currently preserved in Tashkent, and expected to be brought soon to the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, the “Qur’an of Caliph Uthman” is considered one of the oldest Qur’an manuscripts written in Kufic script.