Al-Azhar’s Unique Quran Copy Captivates Cairo Int’l Book Fair Visitors
It is a work of art that combines the authenticity of royal calligraphy with the technologies of the digital age.
The special copy of the Holy Quran, the result of two decades of work, is on display at the Al-Azhar pavilion at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair in 2026, according to Fito website.
The Quran, a gift from the Egyptian Al-Makanz Islamic Society, combines the calligraphy of the late Muhammad Jafar Beg, who died a century ago, with the genius of digital technology to present the Islamic world with a visual legacy that evokes the glory of the Mamluk and Ilkhanid eras.
This historic and exceptional copy of the Holy Quran has captivated visitors to the Cairo International Book Fair and is a work of art that combines the authenticity of royal calligraphy with advanced computer technology.
The Quran is the result of a great scientific and technical effort and has been digitally reconstructed using the famous King Fouad typeface and specialized computer software.
This effort was carried out after the Al-Makinz Islamic Society collaborated with skilled calligraphers of Naskh calligraphy, relying on the calligraphy of the great calligrapher Muhammad Jafar Beg (d. 1916). He established the rules of Naskh calligraphy for the Amiri Printing House; rules that are the most innovative calligraphy rules the Islamic world has ever witnessed.
The result of about 20 years of work, this Quran is written using geometric motifs inspired by valuable calligraphy Qurans from the Ilkhanid and Mamluk periods, and is distinguished by the careful attention to the colors used in the illumination and decorations to match the original historical manuscripts.
Its cover is made of pure natural vegetable-tanned leather, which features intricate designs of colors and gold, as well as embossed thermal engraving to imitate the geometric patterns of the Mamluk period.
The Al-Maqens Islamic Society presented this copy of the Holy Quran as a special gift to the Al-Azhar Islamic Center, and it uses the finest paper made of pure cotton and acid-free to preserve the brilliance of the illumination and colors for a long time.
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The 57th Cairo International Book Fair started on January 23, 2026, at the Egypt International Exhibition Center and will continue until February 3, 2026.
"Whoever stops reading for an hour will be left behind for centuries" is the slogan of this edition of the fair, which has been attended by 1,457 publishing centers from 83 countries.
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