Louvre Abu Dhabi showcases Abrahamic manuscripts in ‘Letters of Light’ exhibition

ABU DHABI: A copy of the Qur’an, believed to be the world’s smallest complete Qur’an, is on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, forming part of the “Letters of Light” exhibition that will run until January 2024.

The exhibition explores the historical context in which holy books emerged, the way they have been passed down over the years, the scholarly and mystical practices associated with them and their essential role in universal intellectual and artistic history.

“The material speaks for itself, the pages of the blue Qur’an, the inscription, the calligraphy as beautiful as this indigo dye … (it) is simply sensational,” Dr. Souraya Noujaim, director of the Department of Islamic Arts at the Louvre Museum in Paris, told Arab News en Français.

“It is an unmissable opportunity to embark on a journey of profound reflection, exploring the intricate interplay between creativity and spirituality. It is a celebration of diversity and tolerance and a testament to the harmonious coexistence of faith. It is an exhibition that embodies the commitment of the UAE, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi to forge meaningful connections,” Manuel Rabate, director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, said in a statement released ahead of the inauguration.

Visitors will be able to discover manuscripts of the Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an, as well as artifacts from the collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, the Louvre in Paris and the collection of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

For Laurence Engel, president of the BNF, the exhibition is “an occasion to admire the strength of these religions, and the beauty of their material productions … to explain and understand, and tell our common history.”

Laurent Hericher, chief curator and head of the Oriental Manuscripts Department at the BNF, told Arab News: “The goal was to present the subject by telling a story. It is the story of the book, it is the story of humanity, it is the story of people, it is the story of thought. The pedagogical and chronological dimension seemed important.

“I wanted visitors to leave this exhibition with reference points,” he added.

“Letters of Light” is an invitation to travel, to discover, to reflect, and to mediate, an experiences that is compounded toward the end of the exhibition with the inclusion of “The Unseen” — a sonographic experience by Saudi artist Muhannad Shono.